Ghana risks EU gas market access over methane emissions – Expert warns

Dr Kwame Sarkodie, a petroleum engineering expert from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, has warned that Ghana risks losing access to European gas export markets if it fails to strengthen measures to control methane emissions and halt routine gas flaring. The expert spoke at a workshop organized by the Public Interest and Accountability Committee on the topic of building a resilient gas economy through collaborative strategies.

Dr Sarkodie emphasized that Ghana needs to prioritize the elimination of routine gas flaring as both an environmental and economic issue, stating that non-compliance could lead to the loss of market access and higher capital costs for international investors. The European Union is implementing strict methane regulations that require increasingly stringent monitoring, reporting, and verification of methane emissions from imported crude oil, natural gas, and coal.

Starting in 2030, the EU will also impose methane-intensity requirements for certain import contracts. Ghana is currently losing significant economic value due to gas flaring; approximately 28.5 million units of gas, representing about 10.4% of the total raw gas produced, were flared in a single year, resulting in a potential economic loss of $170 million.

Ghana has set a target to eliminate routine gas flaring from its oil fields by 2026, and Dr Sarkodie urged authorities to strengthen emissions monitoring systems and enforce measures to prevent routine flaring and methane leakage, as failure to adapt to the evolving regulatory environment could impact the country's competitiveness in international energy markets.