The Minister for Energy and Green Transition, John Jinapor, has attributed the pockets of outages being experienced in Kumasi and Accra to worn-out power systems.
This is due to poor planning, inadequate investment, procurement misalignment, and insufficient maintenance of critical infrastructure, he told the media.
“These gaps have inevitably resulted in the current strain on the system.”
According to him, a comprehensive programme focused on upgrading critical infrastructure within the distribution system has commenced in recent months.
This, he said, includes the replacement and upgrading of ageing power transformers, expansion of substation capacity, and the rehabilitation of overloaded feeders, especially in high-demand urban centres such as Accra and Kumasi.
As part of this effort, he said the Ministry was undertaking the emergency procurement of transformers to enable immediate injection of capacity into the network.
He disclosed the procurement of 2,500 transformers to address the shortfalls and improve reliability.
“In Accra, ongoing interventions by the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) include the upgrading of key primary substations in Adenta, La, Teshie-Nungua, Nmai-Dzor, Baatsonaa, and Lashibi. These works involve increasing transformer capacities to meet growing demand and reduce instances of localised outages and voltage fluctuations.”
“Similarly, in Kumasi and its surrounding areas, we are investing in network reinforcement projects, including substation upgrades and the expansion of distribution lines to address system constraints and improve supply reliability. These interventions are aligned with broader efforts to modernise the grid and support the Ashanti Region’s growing industrial and commercial activities.”
Beyond these, he said the government was implementing a structured distribution enhancement programme to reduce technical losses across the network; improve voltage stability and power quality; enhance fault detection and response times; and support the integration of new generation capacity into the grid.
“We are also strengthening operational efficiency and accountability within our utilities, particularly ECG, to ensure improved service delivery and better customer engagement.”
He, therefore, appealed to the public to bear with ECG during this period of intensive upgrades.
“We understand the frustrations, but these temporary inconveniences are part of a necessary process to deliver a more reliable and efficient power system.”
Story by Hajara Fuseini
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Source:
opemsuo.com