The Ministry of Energy has confirmed the complete shutdown of the Akosombo Dam following a major fire outbreak at the Ghana Grid Company substation in Akosombo, an incident that has disrupted electricity supply across parts of the country.
According to the Ministry, the fire caused severe damage to key transmission infrastructure, making it necessary to suspend operations at the dam as a precautionary measure.
Speaking on the development, the Ministry’s spokesperson, Richmond Rockson, described the extent of the destruction, noting that the impact on the national grid was significant.
He explained that the blaze destroyed the switchyard system at the Akosombo substation beyond repair, including the main control room, which plays a critical role in managing power transmission from the dam.
“The switchyard at the Akosombo Substation is completely burnt and not salvageable. The primary control room is also gone,” he said, adding that the damage made it unsafe and impossible to continue operations.
He further noted that engineers who visited the site faced difficulties accessing certain areas due to the severity of the fire damage.
As a result of the incident, authorities were left with no option but to shut down the Akosombo Dam entirely, which has contributed to the power outages being experienced in several parts of the country.
The fire reportedly broke out at about 2:01 p.m. on Thursday, April 23, at one of the most critical points in Ghana’s electricity transmission network, leading to widespread concerns over power stability.
