Ghana suspends power exports after Akosombo fire disrupts supply

The Ministry of Energy and Green Transition has moved to temporarily halt electricity exports to neighbouring countries as part of emergency measures to safeguard Ghana’s domestic power supply following a major fire incident at the Akosombo transmission network.

The decision follows a fire outbreak at a substation in Akosombo in the Eastern Region, which damaged a transmission system with a capacity of about 720 megawatts. According to the Ministry, the affected facility represents nearly 70% of the transmission capacity associated with the Akosombo Dam.

Speaking on the Channel One Newsroom on Friday, April 24, Deputy Energy Minister Richard Gyan-Mensah said the measure is necessary to manage the immediate shortfall and ensure stability of supply for local consumers.

“This is an emergency that has actually occasioned it. It is brief; it is not something that is going to last longer. I think they have also heard what has happened to us. In this situation, we need to take some actions and this is one of them,” he said.

He noted that the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and GRIDCo are increasing output from available thermal plants to help bridge the gap created by the disruption and maintain stability on the national grid.

The fire, which occurred on Thursday, April 23, is reported to have destroyed critical components within the substation, affecting transmission stability and contributing to power outages in several parts of the country.

Technical teams are currently working to restore full functionality and minimise further disruptions to supply.

Meanwhile, the Ministry has constituted a committee to investigate the cause of the fire and recommend preventive measures to avoid a recurrence.