Power fully restored nationwide after Akosombo substation fire incident — Energy Minister

The Minister of Energy and Green Transition, John Abdulai Jinapor, has announced the full restoration of electricity supply following a major disruption that affected several parts of the country.

In a Facebook post on Friday, May 1, he confirmed that all power generation units are now operational after emergency interventions helped stabilise the national grid.

“Mission accomplished. All generation units are now back in service. In the face of a major system disruption, and against all odds, our engineers, technicians, and emergency teams worked around the clock to restore power and stabilise the grid. Through their tireless work, discipline, and commitment to country, power has been restored and system stability secured,” he stated.

The Minister attributed the successful restoration to the coordinated efforts of engineers, technicians and emergency teams who worked under difficult conditions to bring the system back online.

He expressed appreciation to the leadership and staff of Ghana Grid Company Limited, Volta River Authority and Electricity Company of Ghana, as well as other supporting agencies, for their role in resolving the crisis.

“This moment shows that even under pressure, Ghana can rely on the strength and skill of its people. May God bless our engineers, our energy sector, and our nation,” he added.

The restoration follows days of intermittent power outages that disrupted homes and businesses across the country.

The disruption has been linked to a fire outbreak at the Akosombo Power Control Centre, a key installation within the national transmission network. The incident triggered emergency shutdowns and forced engineers to isolate parts of the grid, leading to widespread outages and unstable supply in several regions.

Officials estimate that between 720 and 1,000 megawatts of transmission capacity were affected, significantly impacting electricity distribution nationwide.

In response, Mr Jinapor directed the Acting Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Grid Company Limited, Mark Awuah Baah, to step aside to allow for an independent investigation into the cause of the fire and the extent of the damage.

The directive forms part of efforts to ensure accountability and restore confidence in the management of the power sector.

Government has also announced leadership changes within the Electricity Company of Ghana in the Ashanti Region following persistent concerns about erratic power supply.

The incident comes at a time when authorities are undertaking upgrade works to improve the resilience and capacity of the national grid. Although the fire has added to existing challenges, officials say steps are being taken to prevent a recurrence.

Government has assured the public of its commitment to maintaining a reliable electricity supply as efforts continue to strengthen the country’s energy infrastructure.