Ghana has potential for wind energy
The Head of Press, State of Green Consortium, a public-private partnership in Denmark spearheading the transition to a green growth economy, Mr Iver Høj Nielsen, has said that Ghana has the potential for wind energy.
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“South Africa and Ghana have a lot of wind,” he told a group of 12 environmental journalists from Ghana, South Africa and Kenya on a Green Growth study tour of Denmark, who visited the office of the consortium known as the ‘House of Green’.
The week-long tour is being organised by International Media Support (IMS), an international non-governmental organisation (NGO), and funded by the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
While admitting that going into wind energy would require some investment, Mr Nielsen, who is also a business journalist, expressed the belief that Ghana could always seek assistance from development partners if it decided to develop renewable energy.
Why invest in renewable energy
He told the journalists that Denmark resolved to invest in renewable energy when they were caught unawares at the start of the global oil crisis between 1973 and 1974. “We were 99 per cent dependent on imported energy and oil from the Middle East,” he said.
However, the Danish economy has grown by 80 per cent since switching to renewable energy, he stated.
“Energy consumption has remained the same, while carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions have been reduced,” he added.
Mr Nielsen said to further increase their use of renewable energy, the Danish Government had set as its target for 2020, an increase in renewable energy consumption of final energy by 35 per cent and the supply of 50 per cent of electricity from wind power.
Denmark also hopes to reduce the 2010 level of gross energy consumption by 7.5 per cent and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 34 per cent, using the 1990 levels as a baseline.
Ultimate aim
According to Mr Nielsen, the aim of Denmark was to become a fossil fuel independent economy, with an ultimate target of using 100 per cent renewable energy in the energy and transport sectors by 2050.
Denmark also hopes to attain 50 per cent reduction in energy consumption in existing buildings by 2050 and phase out the use of coal by 2030.
Also touching on recycling of waste water, Mr Nielsen said: “The water in the Copenhagen harbour is so clean that you can swim in it. People want to live in a society that is safe and clean.”
The journalists were also afforded the opportunity to use the House of Green’s interactive computer touch screens to learn more about green innovations and renewable energy.
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