Mahama announces 1,200MW gas power plant to overtake Akosombo as Ghana’s biggest single power facility

Nii Ayitey Brown 11:54 - 27 September 2026

Akosombo Dam (left) and John Dramani Mahama (right)

President John Mahama has announced plans for a 1,200MW state-owned gas-fired power plant that would surpass Akosombo as Ghana's largest single power facility if completed.

Mahama says Ghana will sign an agreement for a 1,200MW state-owned gas power plant before the end of 2026.
The proposed plant would be 180MW larger than Akosombo's 1,020MW installed capacity, making it Ghana's biggest single generating facility if completed.

President John Dramani Mahama has announced plans for Ghana to build a 1,200-megawatt (MW) state-owned gas-fired thermal power plant, a project that would become the country’s largest single power-generating facility if completed as planned.Mahama said the government expects to sign an agreement for the project before the end of 2026.

He made the announcement during a town hall meeting with members of the Ghanaian community in New York on Friday, September 25, 2026.

“We are going to build the biggest thermal capacity in Ghana. Before the end of this year, we're going to sign 1,200 megawatts of gas thermal power,” he said.

At 1,200MW, the proposed plant would have an installed capacity 180MW higher than the 1,020MW Akosombo Hydroelectric Power Station, which is currently Ghana’s largest single generating facility by installed capacity.

Akosombo Dam

The proposed facility was announced to be state-owned and powered by natural gas. Mahama said the decision is partly linked to changes taking place in the global energy market.

He cited the increasing use of renewable energy and electric vehicles, saying Ghana needs to be careful about investing in power facilities that could eventually become stranded as the world's energy mix changes.

The President also said some Independent Power Producers (IPPs) that previously threatened to stop supplying electricity because of outstanding government debts are now willing to invest in another 500MW of generation capacity.

However, he said the government would rather increase state-owned generation capacity. Ghana's power system has also faced financial problems in recent years, particularly debts owed to power producers.

Mahama said the government has cleared the outstanding energy-sector debts and reorganised the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) so that payments to power generators are prioritised.

“We brought IPPs, and everybody was threatening to switch off power. Today, I can tell you, we have paid off our energy debts. And we are current with the payments,” he said.

He said the changes had helped stabilise electricity supply.

ECG