Ghana: GRIDCo Schedules 14-Hour Power Cut in Greater Accra

A damaged transmission tower will trigger a planned power reduction in parts of Greater Accra as GRIDCo carries out emergency repairs and steps up enforcement against right-of-way encroachment.

Ghana Grid Company Ltd. (GRIDCo) will reduce electricity supply to parts of the Greater Accra Region on Sunday, August 16, to allow engineers to replace a damaged transmission tower on the Tema-Achimota 161-kV line.

The planned power curtailment will run from 3:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. while technical teams carry out emergency repairs at Ashaiman Middle East.

GRIDCo said the work is necessary to restore the structural integrity of the transmission line and ensure its safe operation.

The company apologised to affected customers and appealed for patience while the repairs are carried out.

Fuel tanker explosion exposes risks around transmission corridors

The tower was damaged on July 10 after a fuel tanker exploded while welding work was being carried out on the vehicle within the transmission line’s right-of-way.

Part of the tanker was propelled into the transmission infrastructure, compromising the tower and forcing GRIDCo to plan its replacement.

The incident has since brought renewed attention to activities taking place within transmission corridors, where unauthorised construction, commercial activity and other operations can pose risks to critical electricity infrastructure.

During a visit to the damaged tower on Thursday, Energy and Green Transition Minister Dr. John Abdulai Jinapor directed people and businesses occupying transmission line rights-of-way to leave within one month.

The directive covers structures, businesses, heavy vehicles and activities such as welding, excavation and drilling within protected transmission corridors.

GRIDCo disclosed that the restrictions are backed by the Transmission Line Protection Regulations, 1967 (L.I. 542), as amended by L.I. 1737 of 2004.

After the one-month deadline, the company said it would work with local authorities, statutory agencies and security personnel to enforce the regulations and remove unauthorised structures and activities.

The repair exercise addresses both an immediate transmission risk and a wider problem around the protection of electricity infrastructure, as GRIDCo seeks to prevent similar incidents from disrupting power supply in the future.