GRIDCo Completes Critical Tower Repairs in Greater Accra, Issues September 12 Deadline for Right-of-Way Encroachers

The Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCo) has successfully restored electricity supply to major parts of the Greater Accra Region after completing emergency repairs on the 161kV Tema-Achimota transmission line. The restoration follows a scheduled 15-hour power interruption on Sunday, August 23, 2026, which was necessary to replace a transmission tower in the Ashaiman section that had been severely damaged by a tanker explosion. GRIDCo expressed appreciation for the public’s patience during the intensive repair process, which involved close coordination with the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) to ensure safety and system integrity.

The planned outage, which ran from 3:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., impacted a wide range of communities and businesses across ECG’s Accra West and Accra East operational areas. Residents and commercial entities in localities such as James Town, Mamprobi, parts of Kaneshie, Nima Township, and Madina experienced prolonged downtime as technical teams worked to stabilize the high-voltage corridor. GRIDCo maintained that the shutdown was unavoidable due to the technical complexity of replacing the damaged pylon and the inherent risks of working on live high-voltage infrastructure.

Following the successful completion of the repairs, GRIDCo has issued a stern warning to individuals and businesses encroaching on high-voltage transmission line Right-of-Way (RoW) corridors. The company has set a final deadline of September 12, 2026, for all unauthorized occupants to vacate these protected zones. This directive aligns with the Transmission Line Protection Regulations, which prohibit activities and structures under pylons that could interfere with maintenance or pose significant public safety risks. The Minister for Energy has also issued a mandate requiring the immediate cessation of all such unauthorized activities within a one-month window.

GRIDCo has signaled its intent to collaborate with relevant statutory institutions to forcefully remove any structures or activities remaining within the pylon buffers after the September 12 deadline. The company emphasized that encroachment not only endangers the lives of those occupying the spaces but also compromises the reliability of the national grid, as evidenced by the recent disruption. Moving forward, the utility provider aims to enforce strict compliance with regulatory standards to prevent future infrastructure failures and ensure a more resilient power supply for the nation.