Energy Minister inspects emergency restoration of damaged Tema-Achimota tramismission line

The Minister for Energy and Green Transition, Dr John Abdulai Jinapor, has inspected ongoing emergency restoration works on the damaged Tema–Achimota 161kV transmission line near Ashaiman Middle East.

The damage occurred when a fuel tanker undergoing welding works beneath the transmission line exploded, sending part of the tanker more than 300 metres into one of the transmission towers.

The impact compromised the structural integrity of the tower and prompted emergency restoration works by the Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCo).

Dr Jinapor cautioned the public against undertaking activities under electricity pylons, saying encroachment and unauthorised activities around transmission infrastructure posed serious risks to lives and property, as well as the reliability of the national power supply.

He called on individuals and institutions encroaching on GRIDCo’s Right of Way to vacate the protected areas immediately.

The Minister warned that people who failed to comply would face enforcement action in accordance with the law, in collaboration with the security services and relevant authorities.

Under Legislative Instrument (L.I.) 542, as amended by L.I. 1737, activities are prohibited within protected corridors extending 15 metres on either side of 161kV transmission lines and 20 metres for 330kV transmission lines.

As part of the restoration process, GRIDCo will undertake planned maintenance works during the coming weekend.

The exercise is expected to take a few hours and may result in temporary power interruptions in some parts of the Greater Accra Region.

Dr Jinapor appealed to residents who may be affected by the outages to bear with the authorities, explaining that the interruptions were necessary to enable the restoration works to be carried out safely and improve the reliability of the transmission system.

He also called for collective responsibility in protecting electricity transmission corridors, saying safeguarding the infrastructure was necessary to protect lives and property and ensure a stable power supply.

The Minister urged the public to desist from activities that could endanger transmission infrastructure and contribute to disruptions in electricity supply.