Akosombo hydro plant restores 550MW after control room fire disrupts power supply
Ghana’s main hydroelectric facility at Akosombo has resumed generating at least 550 megawatts (MW) after engineers successfully restored a fourth generating unit, partially recovering from the major power disruption caused by last week’s control room fire.
The progress, confirmed by the Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCo), marks the most significant step so far in stabilising electricity supply following the April 23, 2026 incident, which forced a shutdown of Ghana’s largest generation source and triggered widespread power outages.
In a statement signed by Acting Chief Executive Officer Ing. Frank Otchere, GRIDCo said joint engineering teams from the company and the Volta River Authority (VRA) have been working to restore affected infrastructure at the Akosombo plant.
According to the statement, four generating units had been brought back into operation as of April 28, gradually increasing power supply to the national grid while restoration work continues on remaining units and transmission lines.
The fire, which occurred in the control room at the Akosombo switchyard, disrupted the evacuation of power from the dam and resulted in the loss of about 1,000MW of generation capacity—one of the most serious shocks to Ghana’s power system in recent years.
Following the incident, Board Chair Kukua Maurice Ankrah and board member Odeneho Kwafo Akoto III visited the site on April 24, together with Energy and Green Transition Minister John Jinapor, who led an emergency inspection and met engineers overseeing recovery operations.
GRIDCo said its board convened an emergency meeting on April 28, during which Ing. Otchere briefed members on the incident and ongoing restoration efforts.
The Acting CEO assured that work was progressing “smoothly,” with technical teams operating around the clock to bring additional units back online and fully restore generation capacity.
An internal investigative committee has also been established to determine the cause of the fire and is expected to present its findings within a week. Management says it will continue to closely monitor recovery efforts.
A further inspection visit by GRIDCo board members and management to the Akosombo facility is scheduled for April 30 to assess progress on full restoration.
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