Mahama praises VRA engineers during Akosombo switchyard inspection

President John Dramani Mahama has commended engineers at the Volta River Authority for their swift and professional response in restoring power generation at the Akosombo hydroelectric facility following a recent fire incident that damaged critical control units at the switchyard.

During an inspection visit to the Akosombo Dam, President Mahama praised the technical expertise, dedication, and resilience of VRA engineers who are currently working to fully restore the two remaining control units affected by the fire.

He expressed confidence in the capability of the state-owned utility, describing it as one of Ghana’s most efficiently managed public institutions, noting that its human resource strength has been key to its operational success over the years.

“You work hard, but it’s not surprising because VRA has been one of the best-organised state-owned enterprises. So I’m not surprised that you have the kind of quality of human resources to be able to ameliorate what happened,” he said.

President Mahama further expressed appreciation for the efforts of the technical team, noting that restoration works were progressing steadily despite the complexity of the damage.

“So I want to thank you for the sacrifice. This is an act of God. I mean, who would have expected that the control room would develop this kind of fire?” he added.

He described the incident as unfortunate but also an opportunity to modernise the aging infrastructure at Akosombo, parts of which have been in operation since 1964. According to him, such a development should serve as a catalyst for upgrading systems to meet modern technological standards.

“But of course, I hear it’s been there since 1964. So they say that adversity is opportunity. Because now that this adversity has happened, it allows us to replace it with a more modern control room that will serve this Akosombo plant and let it work for more generations yet unborn,” he stated.

The fire, which occurred last week, damaged sections of the switchyard control system, prompting urgent intervention by VRA engineers to stabilize and restore electricity generation.

President Mahama revealed that significant progress had already been made, with four turbines back in operation. He expressed optimism that the remaining two turbines would soon be restored as repair works continue.

“You have four of the turbines back on, and you’re working another miracle, and I’ll get good news soon with the remaining two turbines also coming back on,” he said.

He also acknowledged the critical role played by the Ghana Grid Company, describing both GRIDCo and VRA as essential pillars of Ghana’s electricity supply system.

“VRA and GRIDCo, both of you, you are among the foremost twins of the same mother,” he remarked.

The President assured both institutions of continued government support as restoration efforts progress, especially amid public concern over power supply stability following the incident.

Authorities continue to monitor the situation closely as engineers work to fully restore operations and strengthen safeguards at the facility to prevent future disruptions