MyJoyOnline reported on plans to regulate charging stations in Ghana
In Ghana, a MyJoyOnline column says that President John Dramani Mahama plans to regulate the establishment of electric vehicle charging stations. According to the outlet, this is intended to prevent uneven strain on the country's electricity distribution grid.
As stated in the column, the growing number of charging stations requires planning so that they are not concentrated in areas where transformers and substations do not have sufficient capacity for additional electricity demand.
Cost and location of stations
Column author Kwaku Antwi-Boasiako writes that installing a DC fast-charging station can cost up to $55,000. In his estimate, depending on the number of vehicles charging each day and the ECG tariff category, the return on investment may take up to four years.
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In the author's view, investors will choose locations where electric vehicle owners regularly use charging stations. If charging points are located far from drivers' routes or workplaces, owners may charge their vehicles at home more often.
Home charging
Antwi-Boasiako also notes that electric vehicle owners are already installing Level 2 home chargers and mainly charging their cars at night. In his view, regulating public stations alone will not eliminate the risk of transformer overloads in areas where many owners charge their vehicles at home simultaneously.
The author proposes identifying areas based on major traffic flows and the projected concentration of electric vehicles, allocating locations for charging stations, and upgrading transformers and substations there. He also considers it necessary to upgrade grids in suburbs where demand for home charging is expected to grow.
