Energy Minister John Jinapor says Ghana expects to stop procuring liquid fuels for power generation next year as Ghana gas power generation capacity expands through domestic processing and regional imports.
Speaking at African Energy Week 2026 in Cape Town, Jinapor revealed the country has already cut liquid fuel purchases for electricity from eight cargoes to two.
Import Substitution Savings
The switch from liquid fuels saved Ghana about $500 million in a single year through import substitution. This comes at a time when electricity demand is growing about 10 percent annually.
Jinapor explained that domestic gas and imports from Nigeria now replace diesel and heavy fuel oil in thermal plants. Nigeria supplies Ghana through the West African Gas Pipeline.
The Minister said Ghana expects to double those volumes under current agreements. Ghana is also building a 278 km pipeline to link its main power centers. The government is using a levy on pump fuel to fund LPG adoption. The target is 50 percent penetration within three years.
Balancing Exports and Domestic Use
Senegal offered a parallel perspective at the Gas Exporting Countries Forum hosted strategic session. The country began exporting LNG in 2025. Energy Minister El Hadji Abdourahmane Diouf said companies often prioritize export markets.
This leaves governments to secure domestic supply. Senegal is targeting domestic gas supply of around 150 million standard cubic feet per day by 2030.
Diouf said the network pipeline has faced delays. It is expected within nine months. Philip Mshelbila, Secretary General of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum, called the choice between exports and domestic use a false choice. He said exports mobilize capital while domestic utilization is the development multiplier.
Regional Cooperation Key
Panel moderator Oliver Onyekweli noted that only around 3 percent of gas commercialized in Africa is traded within the continent.
Mshelbila said regional cooperation will determine how resilient African markets are to future supply disruptions. He cited the Senegal Mauritania Greater Tortue Ahmeyim project as a model. NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber, described gas as a Swiss knife for African development.
He asserted that Africa is a gas continent before an oil continent. The GECF Global Gas Outlook projects African gas demand will more than double by 2055. Ghana gas master plan is currently under review. It sets a 15 year blueprint for the country gas infrastructure and budgeting.
Jinapor confirmed Ghana gas policy prioritizes domestic processing. Gas is directed first to power generation and then to industry. This strategy ensures energy security remains a priority over pure export revenue.
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