Ghana wants to pay for oil with gold

In Ghana, the government wants to buy petroleum products with gold rather than with U.S. dollar reserves.

Share:

Comprehensive energy news coverage, updated nonstop

Annual subscription

8.25$/month*

*billed annually at 99$/year for the first year then 149,00$/year ​

Unlimited access • Archives included • Professional invoice

OTHER ACCESS OPTIONS

Monthly subscription

Unlimited access • Archives included

5.2$/month*
then 14.90$ per month thereafter

FREE ACCOUNT

3 articles offered per month

FREE

*Prices are excluding VAT, which may vary depending on your location or professional status

Since 2021: 35,000 articles • 150+ analyses per week

In Ghana, the government wants to buy petroleum products with gold rather than with U.S. dollar reserves.

A financial crisis

In Ghana, this measure is aimed at combating the decline in foreign exchange reserves and the demand for dollars by oil importers. This weakens the local currency and increases the cost of living. The implementation of this new policy would take place in the first quarter of 2023.

Ghana’s vice president, Mahamudu Bawumia, announced this fundamental change in the balance of payments. This will significantly reduce the persistent depreciation of the currency, the Cedi. The country’s gross international reserves stood at about $6.6 billion at the end of September 2022.

This reserve is equivalent to less than three months of import cover. According to the Ghanaian government this is down from about $9.7 billion at the end of last year. Thus, the use of gold prevents the exchange rate from having a direct impact on fuel or utility prices.

Depreciation of the Cedi

Sometimes countries trade oil for other goods or commodities. However, these transactions generally involve an oil-producing nation receiving non-oil goods rather than the other way around. Ghana produces crude oil but depends on imports for refined petroleum products.

Ghana’s only refinery was closing after an explosion in 2017. The announcement comes as Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta announces measures to reduce spending and increase revenues. These measures are intended to combat the spiral of the debt crisis.

In a presentation of the 2023 budget to parliament, Ofori-Atta, the Minister of Finance, warned that the West African nation was at high risk of debt distress. The depreciation of the cedi is also seriously affecting Ghana’s ability to manage its public debt. The Ghanaian government is currently negotiating an aid package with the International Monetary Fund.

Singapore’s Durapower and Turkish industrial firm Kıvanç have signed an agreement to form a joint battery production venture targeting growing North American demand.
Norwegian-based Kyoto has launched a 56 MWh thermal storage system at KALL Ingredients in Hungary, designed to replace natural gas with renewable-based industrial heat.
US-based startup Base Power secures $1bn in Series C funding to boost domestic energy equipment production and expand its distributed storage platform nationwide.
Clean Energy Technologies has signed a letter of intent to lead multiple battery energy storage system projects across New York State, with each site planned for 5 MW of capacity.
The Hagersville Energy Storage Park, led by Boralex and SNGRDC, was awarded for its planned 300 MW capacity, making it Canada’s largest battery storage site.
Nala Renewables strengthens its position in Finland with the acquisition of a battery energy storage portfolio exceeding 250 MW from Swiss developer Fu-Gen AG.
The Japanese group has started construction of a 20MW battery energy storage system in Hokkaido, aiming for commissioning in 2027 with support from PowerX and Kyocera Communication Systems.
Nightpeak Energy has launched commercial operations of Bocanova Power, a 150 MW battery storage facility near Houston, to meet rapidly growing energy demand in Texas.
Neoen has launched construction of its first long-duration battery in Muchea and commissioned the second stage of Collie Battery, bringing its storage capacity in Western Australia to 3,145 MWh.
Ottawa invests CAD22mn ($16.1mn) to support eight technology initiatives aimed at strengthening innovation, local production, and competitiveness in the country's battery supply chain.
Clean Energy Technologies and RPG Energy Group completed the installation of an Organic Rankine Cycle heat recovery system at a major industrial site in Tennessee.
Neoen begins construction of its first six-hour discharge battery in Western Australia and commissions the second phase of Collie, surpassing 3 GWh of storage capacity in the State.
Transgrid plans to contract up to 5 GW of grid-forming batteries to strengthen the stability of New South Wales’ electricity network during the energy transition.
The US energy storage market set a quarterly record with 5.6 GW installed, driven by utility-scale projects despite ongoing regulatory uncertainty.
Storage provider HiTHIUM will supply 2GWh of batteries to Solarpro for multiple large-scale projects across the Balkans and Central Europe.
The three Japanese groups announced two new high-voltage battery projects in Shizuoka and Ibaraki prefectures, bringing their joint portfolio to four facilities with a combined capacity of 180MW.
EVE Energy seals a 500MWh strategic agreement with CommVOLT in Europe for commercial and industrial storage at Solar & Storage Live UK 2025, as its five MWh direct current system enters deployment.
Energy Vault Holdings has secured $50mn in debenture financing, complementing a $300mn preferred equity investment, to support the development of its large-scale energy storage projects.
Grenergy reported €86mn in EBITDA in the first half of 2025 and raised its investments to €421mn, supported by increased energy sales and major storage operations.
The 400 MWh energy storage system installed by RWE in Limondale becomes the longest-duration grid-connected battery in Australia, with full commissioning expected by the end of the year.

All the latest energy news, all the time

Annual subscription

8.25$/month*

*billed annually at 99$/year for the first year then 149,00$/year ​

Unlimited access - Archives included - Pro invoice

Monthly subscription

Unlimited access • Archives included

5.2$/month*
then 14.90$ per month thereafter

*Prices shown are exclusive of VAT, which may vary according to your location or professional status.

Since 2021: 30,000 articles - +150 analyses/week.