A major fault on the Akosombo–Volta transmission line has triggered widespread power outages across Ghana, forcing the automatic shutdown of the Akosombo generating units and some thermal plants.
The Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCo) said the shutdown was activated by the national power system’s protection mechanisms to prevent further damage and safeguard the stability of the National Interconnected Transmission System.
The disruption, which began at about 4:30 a.m. on Thursday, August 20, 2026, affected several parts of the country, disrupting households, businesses and essential services.
In Accra, communities including Adabraka, Weija, Tesano, Achimota, Dzorwulu, Legon, Madina, Adenta and Oyarifa experienced outages.
Parts of the Eastern, Northern, Central and Ashanti regions were also affected, with Aburi and Tamale among the areas reporting disruptions.
GRIDCo said its engineers immediately began isolating the affected transmission line after the fault occurred and commenced a systematic restoration of the power system in collaboration with other power sector agencies.
The company said electricity had already been restored to some affected areas, while technical teams continued working to reconnect customers who remained without power.
“Immediately following the incident, GRIDCo engineers, working in close coordination with other power sector agencies, took steps to isolate the affected transmission line and commenced the safe and systematic restoration of the power system,” the company said.
GRIDCo has mobilised additional technical personnel to accelerate the restoration process while ensuring that the work is carried out safely.
The company said further updates would be provided as restoration efforts progressed.
The latest disruption is the second major incident to affect Ghana’s national power system in less than a month.
On July 29, 2026, widespread outages were also recorded in parts of Accra, Tema, Kasoa and sections of the Ashanti and Eastern regions.
The recurrence of major transmission-related disruptions is expected to renew concerns about the resilience and reliability of Ghana’s power transmission infrastructure, particularly given the impact of prolonged outages on businesses, households and critical public services.
For now, GRIDCo says its priority is to complete the restoration of supply to all affected customers while addressing the fault on the Akosombo–Volta transmission line.
