GRIDCo identifies Akosombo–Volta line fault as cause of widespread power outage
The Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCo) has attributed the widespread power outage recorded across parts of the country on Thursday, August 20, 2026, to a major fault on the Akosombo–Volta transmission line.
On Thursday, August 20, 2026, Ghana's national power company, GRIDCo, confirmed that widespread electricity outages across parts of the country were caused by a significant fault on the Akosombo–Volta transmission line. According to the company, the fault was detected at around 4:30 a.m., leading to the automatic shutdown of the Akosombo power generation units and several thermal power plants.
This protective action was a standard safeguard mechanism in place to maintain the stability and integrity of Ghana's National Interconnected Transmission System. Consequently, the incident led to a loss of electricity supply to numerous regions, including communities in Accra and other parts of Ghana. GRIDCo stated that its engineers, in collaboration with other power sector agencies, swiftly isolated the affected transmission line and commenced the process of restoring the power system safely and methodically.
Progress was made in restoring electricity to some affected areas, but restoration efforts continued for those without power. The company emphasized that all pertinent technical teams were deployed to ensure a speedy and secure full restoration. GRIDCo sincerely apologized for the disruption and assured the public that updates would be provided as more information became available.
Additionally, the company requested that customers exercise patience and cooperation while efforts were ongoing to fully restore the power system.
Written by urgent.news from MyJoyOnline Ghana's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
