The Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCo) has renewed its warning against unauthorised activities within electricity transmission corridors following damage to a transmission tower at Ashaiman that has triggered a 15-hour power interruption in parts of the Greater Accra Region.
The affected areas will experience the outage today, Sunday, August 16, 2026, as GRIDCo undertakes emergency repairs on the damaged structure along the 161kV Tema–Achimota transmission line.
The planned interruption is scheduled from 3:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., allowing engineers to safely replace the tower located at Ashaiman Middle East.
According to GRIDCo, the tower was damaged when a fuel tanker exploded while welding work was being carried out on its tank within the Right-of-Way (RoW) of the transmission line.
The incident, the company said, has made the emergency intervention necessary to restore the structural integrity of the tower and prevent further risks to the transmission network.
Encroachment under scrutiny
Beyond the immediate power disruption, GRIDCo has used the incident to draw attention to the growing risks associated with human activities within protected transmission corridors.
The company said unauthorised activities within the RoW can endanger lives, destroy critical electricity infrastructure and compromise the reliability of power supply.
GRIDCo cited the Transmission Line Protection Regulations, 1967 (L.I. 542), as amended by L.I. 1737 of 2004, which restricts certain activities within protected transmission corridors.
These include unauthorised construction, excavation and drilling, as well as the operation of shops, garages, lorry parks and other commercial activities that could interfere with transmission infrastructure.
Government directive
GRIDCo also pointed to a directive issued by the Minister for Energy and Green Transition, Dr John Abdulai Jinapor, ordering individuals, businesses, land users and other entities unlawfully occupying transmission line Rights-of-Way to cease their activities and vacate the affected areas within one month.
The directive covers activities such as heavy-vehicle parking, welding and excavation within protected corridors.
GRIDCo said that after the compliance period expires, it will collaborate with Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies, statutory institutions and security agencies to enforce the directive.
Unauthorised structures and activities could subsequently be removed, while individuals and entities that fail to comply could face enforcement action under the law.
Appeal to affected customers
GRIDCo apologised to customers who will be affected by Sunday’s power interruption and appealed to them to cooperate with engineers during the repair exercise.
The company said the temporary outage was necessary to enable the damaged tower to be safely replaced and restore the reliability of the transmission line.
It further called on traditional authorities, landowners, businesses, local authorities and residents to support efforts to keep transmission corridors free from encroachment.
GRIDCo stressed that Rights-of-Way are protected infrastructure zones designed to safeguard the country’s electricity transmission system and are not intended for unrestricted occupation or commercial activities.
The Ashaiman incident, it said, underscores the potential consequences of allowing hazardous activities to take place within areas reserved for critical power infrastructure.
