By Ashiadey Dotse
A fire outbreak at a substation near the Akosombo Dam has forced a shutdown that removed about 1,000 megawatts of power from Ghana’s national electricity supply, the Ministry of Energy and Green Transition has said.
Head of Communications at the Ministry, Richmond Rockson, explained that the incident has significantly affected power generation and could impact electricity supply across the country.
Speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show on Friday, April 24, Mr. Rockson said Ghana’s peak power demand is about 4,400 megawatts, with the Akosombo facility contributing close to 1,000 megawatts.
“Our peak demand is about 4,400 megawatts. Akosombo gives us approximately 1,000 megawatts, and as we speak, we have lost close to that,” he said.
He noted that the impact has been severe because the country does not have enough reserve power to manage such a sudden disruption. According to him, an efficient power system should have about 20 percent of its generation capacity kept as reserve for emergencies.
“Unfortunately, we do not have enough reserve margin,” he stated, adding that challenges in expanding power generation in recent years have contributed to the situation.
Despite the setback, Mr. Rockson assured the public that steps are being taken to stabilise supply and prevent future disruptions. He said government plans to add about 1,200 megawatts of new power to the national grid, along with 200 megawatts of solar energy supported by battery storage.
He added that additional projects are underway to secure between 200 and 400 megawatts as reserve capacity to improve the system’s resilience.
Mr. Rockson admitted that the loss of power from Akosombo is a major challenge but expressed confidence that engineers are working to restore normal supply soon.
“Once you have about 1,000 megawatts go off, it will definitely be a major challenge. But engineers are working diligently, and I am sure they will be able to restore the normal situation,” he said.
He also clarified that gas supply is stable and not part of the current problem. According to him, gas is still being delivered to the Tema power plants, with about 120 million standard cubic feet supplied as of Thursday night.
Mr. Rockson explained that a minor technical issue at the gas processing plant was quickly resolved, and operations have returned to normal.
The incident has raised concerns about the stability of Ghana’s power supply, but authorities say efforts are ongoing to restore full generation and strengthen the system against future shocks.
