The committee investigating the April 23 fire outbreak at the Akosombo Substation has concluded that the incident was caused by insulation failure resulting from ageing electrical infrastructure, ruling out sabotage or any deliberate human action.
Presenting its report to the Minister for Energy and Green Transition, John Abdulai Jinapor, the committee said the fire originated in the changeover section of the low-voltage (LV) panel, where decades-old cables had deteriorated and become brittle over time.
Chairman of the committee, Engineer William Amuna, explained that the ageing cables suffered insulation failure, allowing electrical current to flow abnormally and trigger a fault within the system.
According to him, the initial power supply from the Akosombo powerhouse automatically tripped at 311 amps after detecting the fault.
However, a second transformer immediately assumed the load and continued supplying electricity to the affected section because it was configured to trip only at 450 amps.
The continued power flow generated excessive heat, causing the cable insulation to ignite and rapidly spread fire through the substation.
“Some of the cables have gone brittle. The fire started from insulation failure in the LV panel and not because anybody tampered with the system,” Engineer Amuna stated.
He explained that the blaze spread quickly because the affected panel was interconnected with other panels and surrounded by numerous control cables serving the large substation, which operates 11 outgoing transmission circuits.
The committee found no evidence of human interference, sabotage or intentional wrongdoing, concluding that the incident was purely a technical failure linked to ageing infrastructure.
Recommendations
The committee recommended a series of immediate and long-term measures to strengthen the reliability and safety of the facility.
Engineer Amuna disclosed that GRIDCo and the Volta River Authority (VRA) are already implementing an interim arrangement to transfer protection and control functions from the damaged station to the Akosombo Power Plant.
He expressed confidence that the temporary system would be operational by the end of August.
For the long term, the committee recommended the construction of a modern control building to replace the ageing facility.
According to him, the proposed facility would be modelled on the recently developed Pokuase Substation, which meets modern safety and operational standards.
He estimated that the new control centre could be completed within 18 to 24 months.
Minister promises action
Receiving the report, Mr. Jinapor assured the committee that government would thoroughly study and implement its recommendations.
“Let me assure you that we will take this report seriously. We will digest all the contents of the report and implement it to the letter,” he said.
The Minister commended engineers and technical staff for restoring electricity supply after the incident but stressed that any negligence uncovered would be dealt with appropriately.
He described the incident as a wake-up call for Ghana’s energy sector, highlighting the need for stronger maintenance practices, improved emergency response systems and increased investment in transmission infrastructure.
“This should be a wake-up call for us so that we can strengthen the system, improve our maintenance culture and invest in the grid to build a more resilient energy sector,” he stated.
The fire at the Akosombo Substation disrupted power transmission and affected electricity supply in parts of the country after it damaged critical infrastructure within the national grid. The latest findings, however, have confirmed that the incident resulted from ageing equipment rather than any act of sabotage
