ACEP warns frequent power trips expose weaknesses in Ghana’s transmission system
The Executive Director of the Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP), Benjamin Boakye, has raised concerns over the increasing frequency of nationwide power system trips in Ghana, warning that the recurring blackouts point to deeper weaknesses in the country’s electricity transmission infrastructure. His comments followed a nationwide blackout that affected parts of Ghana on Thursday […]
Benjamin Boakye, Executive Director of the Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP), has expressed alarm over frequent nationwide power system trips in Ghana, attributing the issue to weaknesses in the country's transmission infrastructure. Boakye made these remarks following a blackout on Thursday, August 22, and during an interview on JoyNews on Saturday, August 23.
While acknowledging that power system trips are not uncommon, he emphasized the growing frequency as a major concern. Boakye highlighted that Ghana's power system faces immediate protection challenges and longer-term infrastructure limitations that need addressing. The Akosombo area, in particular, is a focal point for resolving transmission issues.
Strengthening protection systems in this region is crucial to prevent a localized fault from triggering a nationwide outage, according to Boakye. He stressed the need for mechanisms to quickly isolate generation plants when a 330-kilovolt line trips, to prevent overloaded transmission infrastructure. Boakye also pointed out the structural challenges posed by the combination of 161-kilovolt and 330-kilovolt lines, which become strained when a major 330kV line is lost.
He called for the development of mechanisms to isolate generation plants quickly and for investment in additional high-voltage transmission routes to provide alternative pathways for electricity during outages. Boakye urged authorities to implement least-cost measures and contingency arrangements to contain network failures and prevent them from escalating into broader blackouts.
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