The Ministry of Energy and Green Transition will soon submit a memo to cabinet for the approval of a policy to pave the way for the provision of electric vehicles to all ministers.
The Minister of Energy and Green Transition, John Jinapor, who made this known, said the initiative would also be extended to other government agencies to encourage the use of Electric Vehicles ( EVs).
Mr Jinapor, who was speaking at the launch of the 60kW Solar Powered Electric Vehicle Charging Station in Accra yesterday, said the transition to EVs was an environmental and economic decision.
He said EVs generally had lower operating costs compared with the traditional fossil fuel-powered vehicles, which had more costly engines and repairs.
To that end, he said the introduction of EVs would reduce all those operational costs and help both commercial and private vehicle owners to save some money, reduce fares for commuters and reduce the volatile import markets.
"We are committed to supporting the rollout of EVs charging stations across key urban corridors with the collaboration of the Ministry of Environment and with the Ghana Oil Company (GOIL), which is largely owned by the state, so that such charging stations can be deployed at various GOIL fuel stations and at various transport loading terminals, to serve as a catalyst to facilitate EVs uptake and optimise the energy system.
Charging stations
Mr Jinapor said that the launch of the EV Solar Charging Station was a critical milestone, and the beginning of the success of the collection of the private sector, development partners and the public to support the initiative.
He, therefore, urged all transport owners and operators, investors and stakeholders to join the government to drive this transition forward, saying there was a need to work together to build this infrastructure, incentivise this adoption and embed sustainability at the heart of the transport and energy systems.
He said the government was poised to support the sector, but would require the private sector to invest in the initiative as the government would create the enabling environment and regulatory policies to accelerate the pace.
Mr Jinapor said his outfit was fully committed to promoting clean energy alternatives and that the Electric Vehicle Charging Station initiative illustrated the commitment of the Ministry to meet “our climate obligations, improve air quality and build a resilient economy driven by innovation and low carbon emissions”.
That, he said, would be made possible through the strong partnerships, including the Energy Commission, the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Environment, as well as all development partners and other key stakeholders.
Energy Commission
The acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Energy Commission, Eunice Biritwum, said the initiative was spearheaded by the Commission in partnership with GIZ.
She said the collective commitment was an indication of their readiness to build a cleaner and more sustainable environment for Ghanaians.
For his part, the Country Director of the GIZ, Ghana, Dr Dirk Abmann, said the collaboration with the government started 50 years ago and was expected to grow in the years ahead.
