Towards Energy Security and Sustainability: Developing a Legal Regime for Marine Renewable Energy in Africa – The Case of Ghana

Energy security and sustainability has become a crucial part of the global order in the wake of the dangers posed by the threat of climate change and other debilitating activities that threaten the ecosystem. The current term “energy security and sustainability” has now in so many aspects come to mean clean or renewable energy. With the Gulf of Guinea’s potential as a source of marine renewable energy (MRE), this paper seeks to look at the development of a legal regime for States along the Gulf of Guinea by using Ghana as a case study through the appraisal of the Renewable Energy Act 2011 (Act 832). This appraisal will adopt a doctrinal approach. It is important to note that there is no exclusive law on marine renewable energy in Ghana or any other country along the Gulf of Guinea. The study further focuses on the importance of MRE in securing energy supply and sustainability and developing policy frameworks with the aim of meeting the Sustainable Development Goals; 7,11 and 13 and also ensuring safety of life at sea.