The ongoing power outages in Ghana are attributed to a significant fire incident at a major substation on April 23, 2026. The fire at the GRIDCo substation in Akosombo reduced output by more than 1,000 megawatts. This incident highlights the risks of relying on a single energy source.
During this electricity supply crisis, Karpower Ghana maintained uninterrupted output of 450 megawatts. Electricity exports to Burkina Faso, Togo, and Benin were suspended on April 25, 2026, to conserve power for domestic use.
As of April 27, two generating units at Akosombo had been restored to the national grid. The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) stated that these ongoing power outages are temporary and part of efforts to stabilize the national electricity grid.
The current situation remains fluid as engineers continue repair and restoration works on critical infrastructure. ECG’s capital expenditure has reportedly been reduced to about GH¢1.5 billion from GH¢9 billion, according to former MD Samuel Dubik Mahama.
Officials have noted that power outages may not always follow published schedules strictly due to real-time adjustments being made by engineers. Charles Nii Ayiku Ayiku commented on the fluid nature of the situation, saying there will be some level of outages as repairs progress.
Samuel Dubik Mahama expressed concern about ECG’s reduced budget affecting operations: “That is disturbing. It means that ECG has cut down, so they are unable to operate effectively.”
