GRIDCo restores power after major system disturbance

The Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCo) has declared that electricity supply has been fully restored following Thursday’s major system disturbance, but reports that some areas remain without power are raising fresh questions about the company’s restoration claim. In a statement issued on Friday, August 21, GRIDCo said power supply had been restored to all affected areas by 12:03 p.m. on Thursday, August 20, after its engineers and other power-sector technical teams worked to stabilize the system.

However, despite the assurance, some communities and consumers in the Volta Region, Greater Accra were still reporting power outages after the stated restoration time, suggesting that the return of stability to the transmission system may not necessarily have translated into immediate restoration for every customer. The development could deepen public concern over the recurring power disruptions and the communication surrounding them, particularly as consumers continue to seek clear explanations about the causes, duration and geographical spread of outages.

GRIDCo did not state in its latest release what specifically triggered Thursday’s system disturbance. It is therefore expected to explain why some consumers could remain without electricity despite its declaration that supply had been fully restored to all affected areas. The company said restoration efforts began immediately after the disturbance, with GRIDCo engineers working with technical teams across the power sector to progressively restore supply. It expressed appreciation to the public and stakeholders for their patience and cooperation during the restoration process.

GRIDCo has since assured the public that it would continue implementing measures to improve the reliability, stability and resilience of the national transmission network. The latest incident is particularly significant because it comes against a backdrop of repeated major power disruptions that have affected households, businesses and public institutions, triggering growing demands for accountability from institutions responsible for the country’s electricity supply system.

For consumers still without power, however, the central issue remains unresolved: if GRIDCo has fully restored supply to all affected areas, why are some communities still in darkness? The distinction is important because GRIDCo operates Ghana’s National Interconnected Transmission System (NITS), while distribution utilities are responsible for delivering electricity from the transmission network to individual customers. A system disturbance may therefore be resolved at the transmission level while specific consumers remain without electricity because of local distribution faults or other problems downstream of the transmission network.

GRIDCo, established in December 2006 and operational since August 1, 2008, is responsible for the economic dispatch and transmission of electricity from wholesale suppliers to bulk customers and distribution utilities. The company currently transmits electricity to 33 bulk customers and distribution utilities from 11 wholesale suppliers, including the Volta River Authority.

Although GRIDCo’s latest statement offers reassurance that the wider transmission system has been restored, the continued absence of power in some locations means the situation on the ground may require further clarification from both GRIDCo and the relevant distribution companies. For affected consumers, the restoration announcement may therefore provide only partial relief until electricity actually returns to their homes, businesses and communities.

By: Joyce Owusu