Full Text: Energy Minister's presentation on power challenges after Akosombo substation fire
Source: myjoyonline

Good afternoon, distinguished members of the press, colleagues, and fellow citizens. Over the past fifteen months, Government has worked with focus and discipline to stabilise Ghana’s power sector and deliver a more reliable electricity supply to homes, businesses, and industry. This has been achieved despite inheriting a generation deficit of over 700 megawatts in December 2024, a gap that posed a serious risk to national productivity and economic stability. Through coordinated effort and decisive leadership, we have implemented significant structural reforms across the entire power value chain; from generation, through transmission, to distribution. These reforms are not abstract; they are measurable and impactful. On the generation side, Independent Power Producers have experienced improved payment performance, restoring confidence and strengthening partnerships within the sector. Fuel supply has stabilised considerably. Natural gas deliveries from TEN, Jubilee partners, and N-Gas have increased and remain consistent. Liquid fuel availability has been secured, and critically, gas payments are now made on time, eliminating the uncertainty that previously threatened continuous generation. Within the distribution segment, revenue collection by the Electricity Company of Ghana and Northern Electricity Distribution Company has improved significantly. This has enhanced their operational capacity and enabled critical investments in network maintenance and expansion, while maintaining discipline in overall expenditure. Taken together, these efforts have resulted in a period of relative stability in power supply, one that many Ghanaians have experienced over the past year. However, we have recently experienced two setbacks that have impacted power supply. While these incidents are unfortunate, they are being addressed with urgency and coordination. Our technical teams are actively working to resolve them, and we will maintain full transparency on their causes, implications, and the measures being taken to restore normalcy. Notwithstanding these challenges, the overall trajectory of the power sector remains one of progress, reform, and resilience. AKOSOMBO SUBSTATION FIRE I address you today on two critical but distinct developments within our power sector that have affected electricity supply across the country recently. The first is the recent fire at Ghana's biggest generation plant, the Akosombo Substation, an unexpected and significant incident that has disrupted power evacuation and generation. Fellow citizens, this incident represents one of the most serious and unprecedented disruptions ever experienced in Ghana’s power sector. The fire incident severely damaged the control room responsible for power evacuation, crippling a critical component of the transmission system and leaving over 1,000 megawatts of power stranded at Akosombo. This has inevitably resulted in supply disruptions across parts of the country. Fellow Ghanaians as Minister responsible for the energy sector, my foremost desire is to ensure that every Ghanaian, and every part of our country, enjoys a stable, reliable, and uninterrupted power supply. This has been the focus of our efforts since assuming office. This unfortunate and unprecedented disaster, which has resulted in the temporary curtailment of power from our largest generation source, the Akosombo Dam, has led to severe supply challenges not witnessed in recent times. To all those affected by this situation, I wish to assure you that I deeply empathise with you and share in your frustration and discomfort. But le me assure that Government, working through all relevant sector agencies, has responded with urgency and coordination. Our engineers have remained on site, working around the clock under extremely difficult conditions to restore operations. I am pleased to report that, through emergency technical interventions share determination, the first generating unit was successfully restored yesterday. This afternoon, I just received confirmation that the second unit has also been successfully synchronised, bringing the total to 2 units as I address you. Work is actively ongoing to bring the 3rd and remaining units back into operation as quickly and safely as possible. Ladies and Gentlemen, on behalf of the Government and the good people of Ghana, I wish to take this opportunity to commend and salute our engineers and technical teams who have remained on site, working tirelessly under extremely difficult conditions to restore the system to full operation. Your dedication, professionalism, and unwavering commitment in the face of this challenging situation are truly commendable. Let me state without equivocation that I am immensely proud of you. I have directed the Electricity Company of Ghana to provide regular and timely updates to the public on affected areas and restoration efforts. Let me state clearly: disasters of this nature are neither predictable nor entirely preventable. However, what remains within our control is the speed, coordination, and determination with which we respond. In our attempt to swiftly restore power, safety remains paramount. We will move swiftly, but we will not seek to cut corners. To get to gthe root of the fire incident, I have also constituted a Technical Committee, chaired by Ing. William Amuna, to conduct a thorough and independent investigation into the incident. I am well aware that the security agencies are also conducting the criminal aspect of the investigations. Let me assure Ghanaians that we remain fully committed to restoring normalcy within the shortest possible time. I have been brief that the engineers seek to restore normalcy within this week. TRANSFORMER UPGRADE AND REPLACEMENT PROGRAMME (TURP) Fellow citizens, beyond this incident lies a deeper, long-standing structural challenge, the condition of our distribution infrastructure. Many transformers across the country are obsolete and overstretched due to increasing demand and years of underinvestment. This has resulted in overloads, low voltage, and recurring outages. Government is addressing this directly through a nationwide Transformer Upgrade and Replacement Programme. As an immediate intervention, about 200 transformers have so far been installed in April 2026 with another 140 scheduled to be installed this week. Across the ECG operational areas, we aim to install over 2,500 transformers nationwide in 2026. In addition, high-capacity transformers are being deployed at key Bulk Supply Points, including Adenta, Lashibi, and Teshie-Nungua, with further works planned for Kumasi next week. The Ghana Grid Company is also preparing to commence critical transmission reinforcement works in Kumasi in June 2026. CENIT Energy Limited is supporting efforts by airlifting critical components to boost generation capacity in the Ashanti Region. CLOSING We are confronting both immediate disruptions and long-term structural weaknesses with focus and determination. We are restoring what has been disrupted. We are replacing what is no longer fit for purpose. And we are building a stronger, more resilient power system for the future. Government remains fully committed to delivering reliable electricity supply to every Ghanaian home, business, and institution. Together, we will overcome these challenges. Thank you, and may God bless our homeland Ghana.