Residents and businesses in parts of Greater Accra will be without electricity for up to 15 hours today as emergency work begins on a damaged transmission tower at Ashaiman.
The power interruption, which started at 3:30 a.m., is expected to continue until 6:00 p.m. as engineers of the Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCo) replace the damaged structure on the 161kV Tema-Achimota transmission line.
GRIDCo says the repair cannot be delayed because the damage has compromised the structural integrity of the tower and poses a risk to the reliability of the transmission line.
The tower, situated at Ashaiman Middle East, was damaged when a fuel tanker exploded during welding work on its tank within the transmission line’s Right-of-Way.
The incident has prompted GRIDCo to renew its warning against activities within areas reserved for transmission infrastructure.
The company says unauthorised activities in these corridors can put lives at risk, damage power infrastructure and disrupt the country’s electricity transmission system.
GRIDCo’s concerns are backed by the Transmission Line Protection Regulations, 1967 (L.I. 542), as amended by L.I. 1737 of 2004. The regulations restrict activities such as construction, excavation, drilling and certain commercial operations within protected transmission corridors.
Among the activities identified by GRIDCo are the use of the corridors for shops, garages, lorry parks, welding operations and heavy vehicle parking.
The company also pointed to a recent directive from Energy and Green Transition Minister Dr John Abdulai Jinapor ordering individuals, businesses and other occupants who are unlawfully using transmission Rights-of-Way to vacate them.
Those affected have been given one month to comply.
GRIDCo says it will, after the deadline, work with local assemblies, state institutions and security agencies to enforce the directive.
Unauthorised structures and activities could be removed, while those who refuse to comply may face legal action.
GRIDCo has apologised to customers affected by today’s outage and appealed for their patience while the repair work is carried out.
It is also calling on landowners, businesses, traditional authorities and residents to help prevent further encroachment on transmission corridors.
The company says keeping the corridors clear is necessary to protect critical power infrastructure and ensure a stable transmission network.
