Accra: The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has unveiled a GHS3.46 billion investment project aimed at tackling the persistent power supply issues, characterized by frequent outages and low voltage, affecting various parts of the country. This significant financial commitment is directed at revamping the distribution segment of the power chain, which has long been neglected in Ghana's electricity infrastructure.
According to Ghana Web, Kwame Kpekpena, the Acting Managing Director of ECG, highlighted during a press briefing in Accra that this initiative is crucial for the reliable delivery of electricity to homes, businesses, schools, and hospitals. He emphasized the immediate need for deploying 2,500 distribution transformers into the grid to alleviate the stress on overloaded systems. The move is a response to decades of underinvestment and inadequate planning in a critical segment of the electricity supply chain.
Kpekpena apologized to customers who have been affected by the outages, acknowledging the inconvenience and disruption it has caused to households and businesses. He assured that ECG is committed to addressing these challenges, supported by a clear implementation schedule and government-backed reforms to the Cash Waterfall Mechanism, which will allow the company to retain part of its revenue for infrastructure investment.
The data provided by ECG indicates a rising trend in transformer failures, with 834 units lost in 2023 and 1,064 in 2024, while only about 300 units were replaced by 2025. This situation has further strained the network, contributing to the outages. The investment programme will also focus on replacing deteriorating poles, upgrading substations, expanding feeder capacity, and integrating modern technologies such as drones for network inspections.