Ghana: ECG Restores Power to Afram Plains After River Cable Fault

Electricity Company of Ghana has restored electricity supply to the Afram Plains after engineers overcame a technically challenging fault on an underwater cable in the River Afram, bringing relief to communities cut off by a major outage earlier this week.

The disruption, which began in the early hours of Monday, plunged the Donkorkrom District and surrounding areas into darkness after a marine cable linking the power network across the river was damaged approximately 400 metres offshore.

Officials said the failure effectively severed electricity transmission to the Afram Plains, a region heavily dependent on the single crossing point for grid supply.

According to ECG’s General Manager for External Communications, Charles Nii Ayiku Ayiku, the scale of the fault became clear during initial inspections.

“Our initial checks confirmed a serious fault on the marine cable, which made it impossible to transmit power across the river,” he said.

The company’s Eastern Regional Maintenance Team was immediately deployed to assess the situation, marking the beginning of an intensive, multi-day restoration effort under difficult terrain and logistical constraints.

To pinpoint the exact location of the fault, ECG dispatched a specialised Cable Test Van from Accra. The equipment, designed to detect breaks in underground and underwater lines, was critical to identifying the damaged segment of the cable.

However, progress was briefly derailed when the vehicle became trapped in a swampy stretch of land while tracing the fault path, an incident that underscored the operational challenges of working in remote and waterlogged environments.

The intervention of Moses Tangbe proved pivotal in resolving the setback. He coordinated local support to extract the stranded equipment, enabling engineers to resume work without further delay.

With access restored, the technical team adopted a pragmatic and resourceful approach to the repair, given the absence of specialised marine cable jointing equipment on site.

Engineers worked alongside local residents, deploying boats to navigate the river and enlisting community divers to assist in lifting sections of the submerged cable. The operation required careful handling to avoid further damage while isolating the faulty segment.

Once identified, the damaged section was repaired using standard cable joints as an improvised solution. Although not specifically designed for underwater applications, the approach allowed for the rapid restoration of connectivity.

To reinforce the repair, the team constructed a temporary wharf structure to keep the affected section elevated and prevent direct exposure to the river, reducing the risk of immediate recurrence.

Dr Ayiku said the combination of technical expertise, local knowledge and adaptability was key to averting what could have been a prolonged outage.

“In the absence of specialised marine cable joints, the team improvised with standard solutions and worked collaboratively to restore supply in the shortest possible time,” he noted.

The restoration has brought significant relief to residents and businesses across the Afram Plains, many of whom rely on stable electricity for daily activities, healthcare services and commercial operations.

The outage had sparked concern among local communities, highlighting the vulnerability of regions dependent on single-source infrastructure links, particularly where geographical barriers such as rivers complicate network redundancy.

Industry observers say such incidents underscore the importance of investing in more resilient and diversified transmission systems, especially in hard-to-reach areas where repair operations can be both costly and time-consuming.

ECG acknowledged the inconvenience caused by the disruption and commended the efforts of all parties involved in the restoration process, including the Eastern Regional Management and Maintenance Team, the Accra-based cable specialists and district-level personnel.

Special recognition was also given to residents of Ekye Amanfrom and Adawso, whose support proved instrumental in navigating the logistical challenges of the operation.

“Thanks to their collective effort, power has now been fully restored, bringing relief to affected communities,” Dr Ayiku said.

The company reiterated its commitment to maintaining reliable electricity supply and improving response times to faults, particularly in remote areas where infrastructure constraints present additional hurdles.

The incident also draws attention to broader challenges within Ghana’s power distribution network, where ageing infrastructure, environmental factors and limited redundancy can combine to disrupt supply.

While the swift resolution of the Afram Plains outage demonstrates operational resilience, it also highlights the need for longer-term investments in grid modernisation, including the deployment of more durable transmission systems and backup connect.

As of the time of filing this report, Electricity has been fully restored, and normal activity has resumed across the affected districts. However, the episode serves as a reminder of the critical role infrastructure maintenance and contingency planning play in sustaining reliable power delivery.

As Ghana continues to expand access to electricity in underserved regions, ensuring the durability and adaptability of such infrastructure will remain central to the country’s broader energy strategy.