Ghana warned gas flaring could threaten access to European markets

Ghana could lose access to European gas export markets unless it strengthens methane controls and ends routine gas flaring, petroleum engineering expert Dr Kwame Sarkodie has warned.

He said changing international regulations, particularly those introduced by the European Union, were placing new demands on oil and gas-producing countries. Ghana’s competitiveness could suffer if it failed to improve the monitoring and reduction of methane emissions, he added.

Dr Sarkodie, of the Department of Petroleum Engineering at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), made the comments at a Technical Consultative Workshop organised by the Public Interest and Accountability Committee (PIAC).

The workshop was held under the theme: “Building a Resilient Gas Economy: Collaborative Strategies to Ensure an Efficient Gas Value Chain.”

He said Ghana must regard the elimination of routine gas flaring as both an environmental responsibility and an economic priority.

“If Ghana does not enforce zero routine flaring and eliminate emissions, we risk losing access to the European export markets and facing higher capital costs from international investors,” he said.

The warning comes as the European Union implements methane regulations requiring progressively stronger monitoring, reporting and verification of emissions linked to imported crude oil, natural gas and coal.

The rules will also introduce methane-intensity requirements for certain import contracts from 2030.

Dr Sarkodie said Ghana was already losing significant economic value through gas flaring. Referring to recent disclosures by PIAC, he said about 28.5 million units of gas had been flared in a single year, representing approximately 10.4 per cent of raw gas produced.

He estimated the lost energy was worth about $170 million. That gas, he said, could instead have supported industries or eased pressures within the energy sector.

The Petroleum Commission has set a target of eliminating routine gas flaring from Ghana’s oil fields by 2026.

“Ending routine flaring is not just an environmental imperative; it’s an urgent economic necessity,” Dr Sarkodie added.

The comments are in line with Ghana’s continuing efforts to reduce routine flaring. The Petroleum Commission has previously said the country was working towards reducing or eliminating the practice by 2026, alongside improvements in methane measurement.

Dr Sarkodie said methane was becoming increasingly important in global oil and gas markets because of its high global-warming potential and the tighter standards being introduced by major economies.

Under emerging EU requirements, international buyers will demand reliable evidence on methane intensity through credible measurement, reporting and verification systems.

The European Commission says that from January 2027, importers must show that oil and gas come from jurisdictions with methane monitoring, reporting and verification requirements equivalent to EU standards or specified international standards.

Importers will have to report methane intensity from August 2028, while limits on methane intensity will apply to specified contracts from August 2030.

Dr Sarkodie urged Ghana to improve its emissions monitoring systems and ensure operators complied with measures designed to prevent routine flaring and methane leaks. Failure to respond to the changing regulatory environment, he said, could affect not only environmental compliance but also Ghana’s ability to attract investment and compete in international energy markets.