Two Akosombo units back online – Jinapor announces breakthrough in power restoration

The Minister for Energy and Green Transition, John Abdulai Jinapor, has announced a major breakthrough in efforts to restore Ghana’s national power grid, confirming that two key generating units at the Akosombo Dam are now fully operational following the recent substation fire.

Delivering an update at the Government Accountability Series on Monday, April 27, 2026, the Minister outlined the progress made through emergency response measures initiated after the blaze severely disrupted power evacuation from the country’s largest hydroelectric facility.

According to Mr. Jinapor, the restoration process is progressing faster than initially anticipated. He revealed that the first generating unit was successfully brought back online a day earlier, while confirmation of the second unit’s synchronisation with the national grid was received just hours before his address.

“I am pleased to report that through emergency technical interventions and sheer determination, the first generating unit was successfully restored yesterday,” he stated. “This afternoon, I received confirmation that the second unit has also been synchronised, bringing the total to two operational units.”

The return of these units is expected to significantly reduce the electricity supply shortfall that has led to widespread outages across parts of the country, particularly in the Ashanti Region, Central Region, and the Tema enclave, where businesses and households have faced severe disruptions over the past 48 hours.

The Minister emphasised that restoration efforts are ongoing, with technical teams working around the clock to bring the remaining units back online. He assured the public that progress is steady and that safety remains a top priority as engineers handle the complex recovery process.

Work is currently underway to restore the third unit, which is in its final stages of testing, while preparations continue for the remaining units. Once fully operational, the Akosombo facility is expected to return to its full generation capacity of approximately 1,000 megawatts.

A key highlight of the Minister’s address was the exceptional commitment demonstrated by engineers from the Volta River Authority and the Ghana Grid Company Limited. Many of these technical experts have remained stationed at the dam site for over three consecutive days, working under intense pressure and challenging conditions to restore stability to the grid.

The teams have employed innovative bypass technology to work around the fire-damaged infrastructure, a solution that has proven highly effective in accelerating the restoration process. This approach has now created a clear pathway for the full recovery of all generating units.

“On behalf of the Government and the people of Ghana, I commend our engineers and technical teams for their tireless efforts,” the Minister said. “Their dedication, professionalism, and unwavering commitment have been critical in maintaining the integrity of the national grid during this crisis.”

With two units already synchronised and additional ones nearing completion, the Energy Ministry remains optimistic that full operations will be restored in the near term. This would mark the end of the current emergency load management measures and a return to stable and reliable electricity supply across the country.