President John Dramani Mahama has announced plans to construct a new 1,200-megawatt gas-fired power plant as part of efforts to expand Ghana’s electricity generation capacity and meet rising demand.

Speaking during the “Resetting Ghana” tour in the Eastern Region on Saturday, May 2, the President said the government will cut sod this year for work to begin on the project.

According to him, the initiative forms part of a broader strategy to strengthen the country’s power sector by increasing generation and creating redundancy within the system.

“Looking at how the country is growing, the consumption of electricity is increasing. When we came to power, consumption was about 3,500 megawatts, but currently peak demand has risen to about 4,300 megawatts,” he said.

He explained that the surge in demand is driven by increased investment and economic activity, necessitating an expansion of generation capacity to ensure a stable and reliable power supply.

“So it means we have to add more generation so that we can get redundancy,” President Mahama stated.

He disclosed that the Ministries of Energy and Finance have already completed the design and roadmap for the project, paving the way for construction to begin.

Beyond meeting domestic needs, the President noted that the additional capacity will position Ghana to export excess electricity to neighbouring countries, including Burkina Faso, to generate foreign exchange.

“By God’s grace, this year we will cut sod for its commencement,” he added.

The planned plant is expected to play a key role in stabilising Ghana’s power supply while supporting industrial growth and regional energy trade.