President John Dramani Mahama has announced plans for Ghana to develop a 1,200-megawatt (MW) state-owned gas-fired thermal power plant, describing it as the country’s biggest thermal generation capacity.

“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,” President Mahama said.

He made the announcement during a town hall meeting with members of the Ghanaian community in New York on September 25, 2026, where he outlined aspects of the government’s energy strategy.

The proposed facility would significantly expand Ghana’s state-owned generation capacity. If completed at the stated capacity, the plant would also exceed the 1,020MW installed capacity associated with the Akosombo hydroelectric facility.

President Mahama said the government was seeking to strengthen the country’s electricity generation capacity while responding to changes in the global energy landscape, including the transition towards renewable energy and electric vehicles.

He indicated that Ghana must carefully manage the transition to cleaner energy sources to avoid investing in generation assets that could become stranded as the global energy system changes.

According to the President, some independent power producers have expressed willingness to add about 500MW of generation capacity. However, the government intends to prioritise additional state-owned generation capacity as part of its broader energy strategy.

The announcement is consistent with the government’s 2026 Budget, which provided for the commencement of construction of a 1,200MW state-owned thermal power plant. The budget also identified anticipated gas supplies from the Offshore Cape Three Points and Jubilee fields as supporting fuel for additional thermal generation.

President Mahama also said measures had been taken to address outstanding energy-sector debts and reorganise the Electricity Company of Ghana to improve the management of power purchases from independent power producers.

The proposed 1,200MW plant is therefore expected to form part of the government’s longer-term strategy to strengthen electricity supply, increase state-owned generation capacity and position Ghana’s energy sector for the changing global power market.