Ghana's power supply sector is set for a boost as President John Dramani Mahama announces the construction of a new 1,200-megawatt gas-fired power plant as part of efforts to meet rising demand.

He announced this during the “Resetting Ghana” tour in the Eastern Region on Saturday, May 2, noting that his government will cut sod for works to start on the project.

He continued that this 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.

President Mahama stated that the surge in demand is to the hike in investment and economic activity, driving 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.