Minister for Energy and Green Transition, John Abdulai Jinapor, has reaffirmed government’s commitment to restoring stable electricity supply following a major disruption at the Akosombo Dam, describing the incident as one of the most unprecedented challenges in Ghana’s power sector history.
Speaking at an Accountability Series briefing, the Minister said the government has, over the past 15 months, made significant strides in stabilising the energy sector despite inheriting deep-rooted challenges.
He noted that by December 2024, Ghana had largely overcome persistent power deficits, commonly referred to as load shedding.
According to him, key interventions included the restoration of a $500 million partial risk guarantee from the World Bank and the payment of over $1.4 billion in energy sector debts—moves that helped rebuild investor confidence and improve power reliability nationwide.
However, he acknowledged that recent developments, particularly a fire outbreak at the Akosombo power control system, have disrupted this progress.
“This incident represents one of the most serious disruptions ever experienced in Ghana’s energy sector,” Jinapor stated, explaining that the fire severely damaged the control room responsible for transmitting power from generation plants to the national grid.
The damage, he said, left over 1,000 megawatts of power stranded, resulting in widespread outages across parts of the country.
Despite the setback, the Minister highlighted swift response efforts by engineers and technical teams working under extreme conditions to restore operations.
He confirmed that two generation units at Akosombo have already been brought back online, with a third nearing completion.
“The progress so far demonstrates resilience and innovation. Once the third unit is operational, it will pave the way for the restoration of the remaining units,” he said.
Jinapor commended the engineers for their dedication, revealing that some had worked continuously on-site for days to restore power.
To manage the situation, he has directed the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) to provide frequent updates on power outages and restoration schedules.
He stressed that, unlike planned load shedding, the current situation is fluid, requiring short-interval updates rather than long-term timetables.
“We will be honest with Ghanaians. When there are challenges, we will communicate them and explain what is being done to resolve them,” he assured.
The Minister also announced the formation of a technical committee, chaired by engineer Williams Amuna, to investigate the cause of the incident and submit a report within two weeks.
Parallel investigations by security agencies are also underway to determine any possible culpability.
He emphasised that while such disasters are difficult to predict or prevent—even in advanced countries—the government remains focused on responding swiftly, transparently, and safely.
“Our priority is to restore power as quickly as possible, but without compromising the safety of our engineers,” he said.
Jinapor expressed empathy for affected consumers and assured the public that efforts are underway to restore full operations within the shortest possible time.
He added that he would personally visit the Akosombo site to encourage the engineers, expressing confidence in their ability to fully restore the system.
“Though this is a difficult moment, we will rise above it,” he maintained.
By 1960news.com
