Energy Minister orders GRIDCo CEO to step aside after Akosombo fire disrupts power supply

The Minister for Energy and Green Transition, John Abdulai Jinapor, has directed the Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Grid Company Limited, Ing. Mark Awuah Baah, to step aside pending investigations into a fire outbreak at the Akosombo Power Control Centre.

The directive follows a major fire incident at the facility last week, which disrupted electricity transmission and triggered outages across several parts of the country. The Akosombo installation is a critical hub in Ghana’s power system, responsible for transmitting electricity from major generation sources to distribution networks nationwide.

The fire, which broke out in the afternoon, affected key control systems and equipment, forcing emergency shutdowns and significantly reducing power supply to the national grid. The incident resulted in widespread outages in multiple regions, compounding ongoing concerns about electricity reliability.

Engineers and emergency responders were able to contain the blaze after several hours, but not before damage was caused to vital infrastructure, including control panels and transmission components. Restoration efforts have since been underway, with power gradually returning to affected areas, although stability challenges persist.

The Ministry of Energy has initiated investigations to determine the cause of the fire and assess the extent of the damage. The decision to ask the GRIDCo CEO to step aside is intended to allow for an independent probe and ensure accountability as authorities work to establish what led to the incident.

The development comes at a time when the country has been experiencing intermittent power supply challenges, raising concerns about the resilience of the electricity system. The disruption at Akosombo has further exposed vulnerabilities within the transmission network, particularly the limited buffer capacity to absorb shocks when critical infrastructure is affected.

Government officials say efforts are ongoing to stabilise the grid and prevent a recurrence, as attention turns to strengthening infrastructure and improving reliability across the power sector.