Ghana: Akosombo Power Station Fully Operational After GRIDCo Switchyard Fire — Energy Minister

Ghana’s largest hydroelectric power plant, the Akosombo Generating Station, operated by the Volta River Authority (VRA), has fully restored all six generation units to the national grid, Energy and Green Transition Minister Dr. John Abdulai Jinapor confirmed on Friday.

“Mission accomplished. All generation units are now back in service,” Minister Jinapor said in a Facebook post.

The Akosombo Generating Station, which produces about 1,020 MW, was disconnected from the national grid on Thursday, April 23, 2026, following a fire at the switchyard of the Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo) substation at Akosombo.

The substation receives power from the station before transmitting it to the national grid. The incident disrupted electricity supply in many parts of the country.

Following the fire, the Energy Minister and his deputy visited the site and assured Ghanaians that engineers would work around the clock to restore the plant to full operation. He kept the public updated on the restoration exercise.

In his latest update, the Energy Minister said: “In the face of a major system disruption, and against all odds, our engineers, technicians, and emergency teams worked around the clock to restore power and stabilise the grid.

“Through their tireless work, discipline, and commitment to country, power has been restored and system stability secured,” he added.

Dr. Jinapor also expressed appreciation to the leadership and staff of GRIDCo, VRA, the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), and all supporting agencies whose coordination made the power restoration possible.

Drawing inspiration from the engineers’ efforts, he said, “This moment shows that even under pressure, Ghana can rely on the strength and skill of its people.”

“May God bless our engineers, our energy sector, and our nation,” he concluded.

Meanwhile, addressing Ghanaian workers during May Day celebrations held at Jackson Park in Koforidua on Friday, May 1, 2026, the President said the facility is now fully operational after engineers successfully resolved the technical challenges caused by the incident.

“Just yesterday, I was in Akosombo, here in the Eastern Region, to inspect the damage at the Volta River Authority electricity generation station following the devastating fire in the switchyard control room,” he said.

He continued: “I know many of you are concerned about the disruptions to electricity supply caused by the Akosombo fire, but I want to share the good news that GRIDCo and VRA engineers, working together, have been able to bypass the burnt-out control room and have restarted all six turbines at the Akosombo Generating Station.”