Ghana’s power transmission system urgently needs upgrades, including redundancy and backup control infrastructure. This is critical to prevent widespread outages, according to Ing Justice Ohene-Akoto. Ohene-Akoto is the Executive Director of the Africa Sustainable Energy Centre (ASEC).
A major substation fire recently exposed the grid's vulnerabilities. The fire was linked to insulation failure. Ohene-Akoto warned that Ghana's grid lacks the resilience needed for a growing economy. This weakness can lead to significant power disruptions across the country.
This capacity gap comes at a time when Ghana faces persistent challenges in its energy sector. Frequent power rationing, locally known as 'dumsor,' has plagued businesses and households. Data from the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) often highlights system deficiencies as a key cause of these outages. The lack of investment in modern grid infrastructure over decades has directly contributed to the current fragility.
“Our system does not have enough redundancy,” Ohene-Akoto explained on the Asaase Breakfast Show. He added, “That is why a single failure can disrupt power supply on a large scale.” This statement underscores the direct link between inadequate backups and widespread blackouts.
The lack of backup systems led to a loss of almost 900 megawatts of power for several days. Ohene-Akoto described this situation as “totally unacceptable.” He advocates for an “N+1 redundancy model.” This model ensures backup systems automatically take over if primary systems fail. He said if Ghana had an additional control centre, power could have been rerouted in seconds.
Ohene-Akoto also criticized current operational practices. He noted that power is often cut during routine maintenance. “In proper engineering systems, taking power off consumers is the last resort,” he stated. He described routine outages during transformer replacements as a sign of limited system flexibility. The existing grid is also not robust enough for future energy demands. Integrating renewable energy sources could destabilize the current system because of its structural weaknesses.
While infrastructure upgrades require funding, Ohene-Akoto argued that many crucial improvements are low-cost. These include routine maintenance practices and proper system configuration. He also mentioned locally developed fire detection and monitoring technologies. He stated, “These are things we can do in Ghana without multimillion-dollar investments.”
Ohene-Akoto urged the Energy Ministry to act immediately. He recommended summoning engineering heads of GRIDCo and ECG. He also suggested addressing knowledge gaps in system protection. Furthermore, implementing nationwide infrared (IR) scanning and monitoring systems is important. This would detect potential issues before they become critical failures.
He proposed a one-week deadline for utility companies. They should submit a comprehensive report detailing maintenance practices. The report should also cover protection coordination systems and fire suppression readiness. Ohene-Akoto concluded, “We need assurance that we are not sitting on a time bomb.” While long-term investments are needed, Ghana can stabilize its system quickly. Better engineering practices and preventive maintenance will achieve this. “Energy is the backbone of economic growth. What matters now is implementation,” he stressed.