The Ministry of Energy and Green Transition has confirmed that the fire outbreak at the Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo) substation at Akosombo has been brought under control, with engineers now assessing the extent of the damage.
Speaking on Friday, April 24, the Ministry’s Head of Communications, Richmond Rockson, said the incident occurred on Thursday afternoon and required several hours of emergency response involving engineers and personnel from the Ghana National Fire Service.
He explained that the fire broke out around 2:00 p.m. at the substation, triggering swift intervention from technical teams and firefighters.
“These are complex power systems. Even with multiple safety safeguards in place, faults can sometimes occur,” Mr Rockson said. “Engineers moved in immediately to assess the situation, and the Fire Service also responded.”
According to him, firefighting efforts continued into Thursday evening before the blaze was finally extinguished early Friday morning.
“As of 8:00 p.m. yesterday, parts of the fire were still being dealt with. But I can confirm that by this morning, the fire has been completely put out,” he stated.
He added that technical teams remain on site conducting a full assessment to determine the level of damage and the next steps for restoration.
“There is an ongoing technical evaluation to understand the full extent of the impact,” he said.
Mr Rockson also disclosed that the Minister for Energy and Green Transition, John Jinapor, is expected to visit the facility for a first-hand briefing.
He acknowledged public concern following videos of the incident circulating on social media, which caused panic among residents in affected areas.
“I understand the concern and the panic it has generated, but I want to assure the public that the situation is under control,” he said.
As a precaution, operations at the substation were temporarily shut down, affecting power supply in parts of the country.
“Following strict safety protocols, all units were shut down. We received complaints from areas such as Kasoa, parts of Dansoman and Tema,” he explained.
He added that electricity transmission from the Akosombo Dam was also temporarily suspended to prevent further risks.
“At the moment, we are not drawing power from Akosombo. That decision was taken to avoid additional damage,” he said.
Mr Rockson assured that engineers are working to restore normal operations as quickly as possible.