President Mahama Unveils Plans for 1,200MW Gas-Fired Power Station | Discuss Ghana

In his boldest energy policy announcement of the year, President John Dramani Mahama revealed yesterday that a massive 1,200 megawatt (MW) gas-fired electricity plant is now in the planning stages.

The President made the disclosure during the Citizen Engagement Town Hall Meeting in Koforidua, signaling a strategic shift toward making Ghana a regional "powerhouse" through the "Big Push" infrastructure agenda.

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A Strategy for Energy Sovereignty

The President framed the project not just as a solution to local outages, but as a major national revenue generator.

Building Reserves: The primary goal of the 1,200MW plant is to provide a massive "buffer" or reserve capacity. This ensures that even if a major source like Akosombo goes offline for maintenance or repairs, the national grid remains stable.

Exporting for Forex: President Mahama highlighted that the excess power would be sold to West African Power Pool (WAPP) neighbors, including Burkina Faso, Togo, and Benin. "We want to turn electricity into a major export commodity to bring in the foreign exchange we need to stabilize the Cedi," he told the audience.

The "Jinapor-Finance" Collaboration: The project is being developed through a joint task force led by Energy Minister Dr. John Abdulai Jinapor and the Ministry of Finance. This partnership aims to ensure the project is "financially self-sustaining" through public-private partnerships (PPP) rather than adding to the national debt.

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Fueling the Future

The plant will rely on Ghana’s domestic natural gas from the Western Basin, further integrating the country’s petroleum and energy sectors.

Lowering Costs: By using locally produced gas, the government expects to significantly lower the "cost per kilowatt-hour" compared to imported light crude oil.

24-Hour Economy Support: The President noted that a 1,200MW boost is essential to support his 24-Hour Economy policy, which will naturally increase the demand for reliable, affordable power during night shifts.

Timeline: While specific dates for the sod-cutting were not given, the President indicated that the feasibility studies and financing frameworks are in their "advanced stages."

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Context: From Recovery to Expansion

This announcement comes just 48 hours after the President confirmed that the Akosombo Dam had returned to full 1,000MW+ capacity. It suggests that the administration's focus has moved from "fixing the fire damage" to long-term "energy dominance."