Ghana has been urged to increase the number of Electric Vehicle charging stations in the country to correspond with the increased number of electric vehicles in the country.
Currently there are only seven electric vehicle charging stations in the country, despite the increasing number of electric vehicles, a report by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has revealed.
Titled “Market Opportunity Study Report of EV Charging Stations in Ghana,” the report said as the country advances towards a low-carbon and climate-resilient economy, the transport sector remained a key area for transformation.
The 28-page report also revealed that despite the significant market potential for EVs, all seven public charging stations were located in Accra, whilst the remaining regions had none.
Speaking at the launch of the report yesterday in Accra, the consultant of the report, Dr Godwin Ayetor, said looking at Ghana’s power challenges, there was a need for stakeholders to urgently adopt sustainable measures to address our energy challenges.
He noted that most of the EV charging stations had broken down due to power fluctuation challenges, as well as a lack of skilled people to install and maintain these charging stations as investors run at a loss.
“I will say the challenges we are facing here are international, not unique to Ghana, and as we have been resilient with other issues, I believe that you will be able to overcome, especially with UNDP having an electric vehicle.
Another challenge is that most mechanics are engine mechanics. Now EVs do not have engines, and so most mechanics will lose their jobs. Therefore, there will be expert deficiency to work on these vehicles when they become faulty,” Dr Ayetor said.
The Deputy Director in Charge of Energy Efficiency Regulations at the Energy Commission Ghana, Mr Kennedy Amankwa, said currently, the Commission was putting together the regulations for EV charging stations.
He explained that the regulation would tackle safety, expectations and everything that would make the EV charging station work safely and effectively, stressing that there was a strong growth potential with the right policy.
“Energy Commission, we are mandated to regulate the electric charging stations. The Ministry of Transport is responsible for the vehicles. So we started by drafting the standards with the Ghana Standards Authority, and after the development of the standards, we go ahead to engage stakeholders and parliament for its approval,” Mr Amankwà said.
The UNDP Representative to Ghana, Mr Niloy Banerjee, said the UNDP had taken the lead in acquiring its EV and charging station in reducing carbon emissions, and local air pollution and thanked the government for the collaboration with them
BY BERNARD BENGHAN
