AN ANALYSIS OF ELECTRICITY GENERATION AND TARIFF OPTIONS IN GHANA

For most electric utility in developing countries the choice of generation technology, the type of financing that is available, the type of ownership of the facility, and electricity tariff policies are not independent variables. This paper reports on an integrated financial, economic and stakeholder analysis of a prospective investment in the Bui hydroelectric generation dam in Ghana. The appraisal of the Bui dam serves as the vehicle to illustrate how the choice of technology, choice of public utility versus independent power producer and available financing packages are linked and what may be their implication for domestic electricity pricing policy. In this case, the Bui dam is both financially and economically better than the alternative compared here, even if favorable financing terms are not available to this project. At the same time, the risks of cost overruns, water availability and construction delays are risks that are likely to be more prevalent with the development of a hydro dam than in the case of the thermal alternative.