The Energy Commission has urged individuals and businesses to register their Electric Vehicle (EV) charging stations and battery swap systems with the Commission to ensure proper regulation and protect lives and properties.
It said the Commission, in collaboration with the Ghana Standards Authority, had developed international-standard guidelines covering EV charging infrastructure and battery swap systems to ensure safety and system efficiency.
Madam Joyce Caitlyn Ocansey, the Drive Electric Programme Coordinator at the Energy Commission, said this during a stakeholder sensitisation in Wa aimed at creating public awareness about a draft electric vehicle charging station and battery swap systems regulation in Ghana.
The Commission had developed the regulation to guide the deployment of EV charging infrastructure and battery swap systems in the country.
Madam Ocansey said the draft regulation prescribed minimum technical requirements for both home and workplace charging systems to help address fire risks associated with EV charging.
She indicated that the draft regulation would soon be presented to parliament for approval and that it would be illegal for anyone to operate an EV charging system in the country without registering it with the Energy Commission.
“If you buy a motorcycle or a tricycle that is an electric vehicle, kindly reach out to the Energy Commission, inform us about it, and we will guide you through the process to protect you, to protect your family, your community, and to protect Ghana as well,” she said.
Madam Ocansey assured investors of the government’s support in the emerging EV sector, including providing an enabling environment for the establishment of charging infrastructure and battery swap systems.
In a presentation, a consultant to the Energy Commission, Dr. Godwin Kafui Ayetor, said the draft EV regulation addresses issues concerned with standards, registration, selling, importation, certification, and operation of EV charging stations and battery swap systems in Ghana.
He indicated the government had earmarked to establish one thousand charging stations across the country by 2028, with an estimated 30 charging stations per month.
He indicated that the Commission had planned to develop a location map to ensure even distribution of the EV charging infrastructures and battery swap systems across the country.
Dr. Ayetor, also a senior lecturer at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), said the National EV Policy had estimated that by 2045, Ghana would fully transition to EV vehicles.
Meanwhile, some participants raised concerns about the potential difficulty in charging the EVs due to the uneven distribution of electricity in the country, as well as the safe disposal of the EV batteries.
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Source: www.myjoyonline.com