Despite recent gains in electricity generation following the recovery of the fourth unit at the Akosombo Hydro Power Plant, several parts of the country continue to experience intermittent power outages, raising public concerns about the effectiveness of ongoing interventions.
A Senior Research and Policy Analyst at the Institute for Energy Security, Xatse Derick Emmanuel, says the situation points to deeper structural challenges within Ghana’s power system beyond just generation capacity.
Speaking on Wednesday, April 29, he acknowledged that the return of multiple generation units has improved overall output. However, he cautioned that increased generation does not necessarily guarantee stable power supply across all communities.
“If you compare current generation levels to what we had a few days ago, there is clearly an improvement,” he noted. “But that alone does not guarantee that every area will have uninterrupted power.”
He explained that electricity supply depends on a delicate balance between generation, demand, and the capacity of the transmission system to efficiently distribute power across the country.
“Power is not something you just produce in excess and store. It must correspond with what the system can contain and what consumers demand at any given time,” he said.
Mr. Emmanuel further warned that generating more electricity than the national grid can safely transmit could lead to serious technical challenges, including voltage instability and system failures, which may result in wider outages.
“If the system cannot evacuate the power generated, you risk damaging equipment or causing system-wide disruptions,” he cautioned.
His comments come at a time when the Electricity Company of Ghana has announced updated outage schedules, with more areas expected to experience interruptions despite improvements in generation at key plants.
While recent figures indicate that generation has, at times, exceeded 4,000 megawatts, the analyst stressed that the key issue remains whether the transmission infrastructure is strong enough to efficiently carry and distribute the power to end users.