The Minister of Energy and Green Transition, Mr John Jinapor, says a fire outbreak at the GRIDCo substation at Akosombo has caused a major disruption in Ghana’s electricity transmission network, leaving over 1,000 megawatts of power stranded and affecting supply across parts of the country.
Speaking at the Government Accountability Series Press Briefing at the Presidency in Accra, Mr Jinapor described the incident as one of the most severe and unprecedented setbacks in the country’s power sector in recent times.
He explained that the Akosombo facility plays a central role in stabilising the national grid, noting that the damage to its control room has significantly impaired the evacuation and distribution of generated power.
According to him, the control room is a critical component that channels electricity from generation plants through the switchyard into the national transmission system. Its loss, he said, has temporarily paralysed that process.
“When you lose the control room, you cannot evacuate power on the spur of the moment, and that leaves a huge amount of power stranded,” the Minister stated.
Mr Jinapor indicated that although other generation plants, including thermal stations, continue to operate, the disruption at Akosombo has created a major supply gap affecting stability in the national grid.
He acknowledged the impact on consumers and businesses, assuring that government understands the frustration and discomfort caused by the situation.
“We deeply empathise with affected citizens. This is a challenging moment, but we will overcome it,” he said.
The Minister further revealed that engineers have been deployed to the site and are working continuously under difficult conditions to restore normal operations. Some personnel, he noted, have remained on site for several days without break in an effort to stabilise the system.
To address the situation and prevent future occurrences, Mr Jinapor announced the formation of a technical investigative committee chaired by engineer William Amuna to conduct a full inquiry into the cause of the fire.
He also directed the Electricity Company of Ghana to provide regular public updates on affected areas as restoration efforts continue.
Mr Jinapor reaffirmed government’s commitment to ensuring a stable and reliable power supply, stressing that efforts are underway to restore full system functionality and strengthen resilience within the energy sector.
