The Spokesperson and Head of Communications at the Ministry of Energy and Green Transition, Richmond Rockson, has disclosed that the fire outbreak at a substation in Akosombo, situated in the Eastern Region, has caused damage to a transmission system with a capacity of approximately 720 megawatts.
He noted that the impacted system represents nearly 70% of the power transmission capacity associated with the Akosombo Dam.
The fire, which started on Thursday, April 23, reportedly obliterated essential components within the substation, with repercussions extending to other transmission points nationwide and resulting in outages in various regions.
During an interview on Friday, April 24, Mr. Rockson characterised the event as a significant setback for the national power infrastructure.
“The system that got affected was about 720 megawatts. That system transmits power to major parts of the country, so this is a significant hit. The Akosombo Dam generates a little over 1,000 megawatts,” he stated.
He further mentioned that the Minister for Energy and Green Transition, John Abdulai Jinapor, is anticipated to visit the substation to gather first-hand information regarding the cause of the fire and evaluate the extent of the damage.
In the meantime, the Ghana Grid Company Limited has initiated a comprehensive investigation to ascertain the cause of the fire.
