Government has begun emergency procurement of 2,500 transformers to stabilise electricity supply in Accra and Kumasi, with Energy Minister John Abdulai Jinapor citing “longstanding underinvestment” as the root cause of recent outages.
In a statement on investment in the distribution network, Dr. Jinapor acknowledged consumer frustration over “pockets of outages” affecting households, businesses, and institutions.
A comprehensive technical assessment, he said, found the challenges stem from “years of poor planning, inadequate investment, procurement misalignment, and insufficient maintenance of critical infrastructure.”
Immediate fixes: Transformers, substations, feeders
To inject capacity quickly, government is procuring 2,500 transformers for urgent deployment across the grid.
The upgrade programme also targets ageing infrastructure in high-demand urban centres.
In Accra, ECG is upgrading key primary substations at Adenta, La, Teshie-Nungua, Nmai-Dzor, Baatsonaa, and Lashibi.
Works include increasing transformer capacities to curb localised outages and voltage fluctuations.
In Kumasi and surrounding areas, network reinforcement projects cover substation upgrades and expansion of distribution lines to ease system constraints and support the Ashanti Region’s industrial and commercial growth.
Beyond emergency works, government is rolling out a structured programme to:
– Reduce technical losses, across the network
– Improve voltage stability and power quality
– Enhance fault detection and response times
– Support integration of new generation capacity into the grid
The Ministry is also pushing operational efficiency and accountability within ECG to improve service delivery and customer engagement.
“Not short-term fixes”
Dr. Jinapor stressed the investments are “part of a sustained and strategic effort to build a resilient, modern, and future-ready electricity distribution system” tied to Ghana’s economic transformation and 24-hour economy agenda.
He appealed for public patience during “this period of intensive upgrades,” noting temporary inconveniences are necessary for long-term reliability.
The Minister said ECG has been directed to enhance communication with customers, providing “timely, transparent, and accurate information” on outages, maintenance schedules, and project progress. “Improved communication is essential to rebuilding public confidence,” he said.
Government maintains it is committed to delivering “reliable, affordable, and quality electricity” for all Ghanaians and will work with stakeholders across the power value chain to achieve it.
