Akosombo Substation fire under control, technical assessment ongoing – Energy Ministry

The Head of Communications at the Ministry of Energy and Green Transition, Richmond Rockson, has confirmed that the fire outbreak at the Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo) substation at Akosombo has been successfully brought under control, with engineers currently conducting a detailed assessment to determine the extent of damage.

Speaking in an interview on the Super Morning Show on Joy FM on Friday, April 24, 2026, Mr. Rockson disclosed that the incident occurred on Thursday afternoon at approximately 2:00 p.m., triggering a large-scale emergency response.

“I can confirm to you that indeed there was a major incident yesterday around 2:00 in the afternoon. There was a fire outbreak at the Akosombo substation,” he stated.

He explained that facilities such as substations are highly complex systems that operate with sophisticated machinery and interconnected components. Despite being designed with multiple layers of safety mechanisms, faults can occasionally occur due to technical or operational challenges.

“These are very complex machine systems… while they are built with multiple safeguards, sometimes they develop faults,” he noted, adding that engineers were immediately deployed to assess the situation while personnel from the Ghana National Fire Service worked to contain the blaze.

According to Mr. Rockson, the fire proved difficult to extinguish and continued burning into the evening hours on Thursday. Emergency teams remained on site for several hours before finally bringing the situation under full control.

“As of yesterday evening, around 8:00 p.m., we were still dealing with part of the fire. But this morning, I can confirm that we have completely put out the fire,” he said.

He further revealed that technical teams are currently undertaking a comprehensive assessment of the substation to evaluate the level of damage and to determine the necessary steps required for repairs and restoration of operations.

“There is a technical assessment ongoing to ensure we understand the full extent of the damage,” he added.

Mr. Rockson also indicated that the Minister for Energy and Green Transition, John Jinapor, was expected to visit the facility to receive a first-hand briefing and inspect the situation on the ground.

“The Minister is going there any moment from now to get a first-hand briefing of the situation,” he said, assuring the public that further updates would be communicated once the assessment is completed.

Addressing public concern, Mr. Rockson acknowledged that videos circulating on social media had caused panic among residents in surrounding areas. He, however, reassured the public that the situation is fully under control.

“I understand the situation is of concern… a lot of people have panicked, but let me emphasise that the situation is under control,” he stated.

As part of precautionary measures and in line with strict operational protocols, activities at the substation were temporarily shut down during the incident. This led to disruptions in electricity supply across several parts of the country, including Kasoa, Dansoman, and Tema.

Mr. Rockson further disclosed that power transmission from the Akosombo Dam was also temporarily halted to prevent further damage to the system and ensure safety.

“At the moment, we are not taking electricity from Akosombo. This was done to avoid further damage,” he explained.

He concluded by assuring the public that experienced engineers are working diligently to restore normal power supply as quickly as possible, emphasizing the government’s commitment to resolving the issue efficiently.

“Our engineers are very experienced, and we are working seriously to resolve the issue as soon as possible,” he said.