The Head of Communications at the Ministry of Energy and Green Transition, Richmond Rockson, has confirmed that the fire outbreak at the GRIDCo substation at Akosombo has been brought under control, with engineers currently assessing the extent of damage.

Speaking on the Super Morning Show on Joy FM on Friday, April 24, Mr Rockson said the incident occurred on Thursday afternoon and required several hours of emergency response involving engineers and the Ghana National Fire Service.

“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 explained that the facility, like many power installations, operates with complex systems that can occasionally develop faults despite multiple safety safeguards.

“These are very complex machine systems… while they are built with multiple safeguards, sometimes they develop faults,” he noted.
“Engineers moved in swiftly to assess the situation, and the fire service also responded.”

According to him, the fire persisted into Thursday evening before it was eventually extinguished.

“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.
Mr Rockson added that technical teams are currently on site to determine the full extent of the damage and outline the next steps.

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

He further disclosed that the Minister for Energy and Green Transition, John Jinapor, was expected to visit the facility.

“The Minister is going there any moment from now to get a first-hand briefing of the situation,” he said, assuring that further updates would be provided after the assessment.
Mr Rockson acknowledged public concern following the incident, noting that circulating videos had caused panic among residents.

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

He confirmed that operations at the substation were temporarily shut down as a precautionary measure, affecting electricity supply in parts of the country.

“As a precaution and in line with strict protocols, all units were shut down. We received complaints from areas such as Kasoa, parts of Dansoman and Tema,” he explained.

He added that power transmission from the Akosombo Dam had also been temporarily halted to prevent further damage.

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

Mr Rockson assured the public that engineers are working to restore normal operations as soon as possible.

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

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Akosombo Substation Fire Is Under Control, Technical Assessment Continues – Energy Ministry

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