Akosombo Dam Completely Shut Down Following GRIDCo Substation Fire
- The Akosombo Dam has been completely shut down following a fire outbreak at the Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo) Substation at Akosombo
- The Ministry of Energy and Green Transition said the blaze caused extensive damage to critical infrastructure, including the switchyard and control room
- The shutdown has contributed to power outages across parts of the country, as Akosombo remains a key component of Ghana’s electricity generation system
Ghana’s top stories, now easier to find. Discover our new search feature!
The Akosombo Dam has been completely shut down following a fire outbreak at the Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo) Substation at Akosombo in the Eastern Region.
This was disclosed by the Ministry of Energy and Green Transition on Monday, April 27, 2026.
Source: UGC
According to a report by Citi News, the Ministry explained that the fire caused extensive damage to critical infrastructure at the GRIDCo substation.
This consequently forced the authorities to take the drastic but necessary decision to halt operations at the dam.
Speaking to Citi FM, spokesperson for the Ministry of Energy and Green Transition, Richmond Rockson, provided further details about the extent of the damage and its implications for the country’s power generation system.
Richmond Rockson noted that the fire damaged the switch system of the Akosombo Dam, rendering it inoperable and necessitating an immediate shutdown.
“The switchyard, which is at the Akosombo Substation, is completely burnt down and it is not salvageable. The primary control room for the switchyard is completely gone. It was even difficult for us to walk there when we went to assess the situation,” he said.
“And when that happened, we had to shut the Akosombo Dam completely, and so that is what caused the outages in many parts of the country as we are seeing. Because Akosombo is a major component when it comes to our power generation,” he added.
The devastating fire incident at the Akosombo Dam reportedly occurred at approximately 2:01 p.m. on Thursday, April 23, when the substation, one of the most vital installations within Ghana’s electricity transmission network, was suddenly engulfed by flames.
Energy Minister suspends GRIDCo CEO
Meanwhile, the Minister for Energy and Green Transition, John Jinapor, has ordered the Chief Executive Officer of GRIDCo to step aside for investigations into a fire incident at the Akosombo power control centre.
In a post on X by Felix Kwakye Ofosu, he said there had been a major shake-up in the leadership of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) in the Ashanti Region.
Source: Getty Images
He, however, did not state the reasons for the shake-up but disclosed that John Jinapor will brief Ghanaians on developments in his sector on Monday, April 27, 2026.
“Minister for Energy and Green Transition has asked the CEO of GRIDCo to step aside pending investigations into the fire incident at the Akosombo power control centre. Also, there has been a major shake-up in the leadership of the ECG in the Ashanti Region,” he stated.
Meanwhile, the Minister for Energy and Green Transition is expected to hold a major press briefing on recent developments in electricity distribution at 2 p.m. on Monday, April 27, 2026.
Captain Smart blames ECG staff for dumsor
In a related development, YEN.com.gh reported that Blessed Godsbrain Smart popularly called Captain Smart blamed the ongoing power challenges in parts of Ghana on alleged misconduct by some staff of the ECG.
He claimed that the "dumsor" situation is not solely due to technical or systemic issues, but is being worsened by human factors within the power distribution system.
His comments come at a time when many Ghanaians are expressing frustration over erratic power supply and its impact on daily life.
Source: YEN.com.gh
