Ghana has been plunged into a significant energy crisis following a major fire outbreak at a substation located near the Akosombo Hydroelectric Dam. The incident, which occurred around 2:01 p.m. on Thursday, April 23, started from a DC panel at the switchyard and escalated after an explosion in the switchover room, according to the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS). This inferno led to the immediate shutdown of all six operational generating units at the dam as a precautionary measure to protect equipment and personnel, ultimately knocking out nearly 1,000 megawatts of power from the national grid. The fire severely impacted a transmission system with a capacity of about 720 megawatts, representing a substantial portion of the Akosombo Dam’s transmission capacity.

In response to the domestic power emergency, the Ministry of Energy and Green Transition announced the temporary halting of electricity exports, prioritizing Ghana’s local demand. Richmond Rockson, spokesperson for the Ministry, affirmed that all power generated would now be directed towards stabilizing the domestic supply. To mitigate the immediate shortfall, Ghana’s thermal power plants are being pushed to their maximum output. Rockson assured the public that the country possesses sufficient fuel reserves, including natural gas and liquid fuel, to sustain these thermal operations throughout the recovery period. This is critical, as thermal plants typically account for about 70 percent of Ghana’s electricity generation, while hydro sources like Akosombo contribute around 20 percent under normal conditions. Importantly, the gas supply remains stable and is not a contributing factor to the current disruption.

The Ghana National Fire Service mounted a coordinated emergency response, drawing 66 personnel from five fire stations including Akosombo, Akuse, Somanya, Kpong, and Kpeki. Firefighters successfully contained the blaze by 2:53 p.m. and brought it under control by 6:51 p.m., with full extinguishment achieved by 7:00 p.m. on April 23. While the fire caused extensive damage to key installations such as power cables, control panels, and switches within the substation, fortunately, no casualties were recorded. Firefighters also managed to prevent the spread of the fire to other critical infrastructure, including pylons with overhead transmission power lines.

Engineers are working diligently to restore power. The initial assurance is that at least one of Akosombo’s six generating units will be brought back online within 24 hours of the incident. Following the successful restart of the first unit, engineers plan to replicate the recovery process to restore the remaining units sequentially. Although initial projections indicated that full restoration could take up to five days, efforts are underway to shorten this timeline, aided by the fact that the blaze narrowly missed the main switchboard area.

The incident has highlighted Ghana’s limited reserve capacity in its power system. With a peak electricity demand of approximately 4,400 megawatts and Akosombo typically supplying about 1,000 megawatts, the loss of this generation capacity represents a major challenge. Rockson noted that a resilient power system should ideally have about a 20 percent reserve margin, a capacity Ghana currently lacks to absorb such significant shocks effectively. Looking ahead, the government has announced plans to strengthen generation capacity and improve system resilience by adding about 1,200 megawatts to the national grid, along with 200 megawatts of solar power with battery storage. Additional projects aimed at providing between 200 and 400 megawatts of reserve capacity are also being pursued. Investigations into the exact cause of the fire are being conducted by the Energy Ministry, the Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo), and the Ghana National Fire Service.