Parts of Ghana were plunged into darkness on Thursday morning following a major fault on the Akosombo-Volta transmission line, which disrupted the national power system, according to the Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCo).
A statement issued by GRIDCo on Thursday, August 20, 2026, said the fault occurred at about 4:30 a.m., triggering the automatic shutdown of the Akosombo generating units and some thermal power plants.
GRIDCo said the shutdowns were activated by the system’s protection mechanisms to prevent further damage and safeguard the stability of the National Interconnected Transmission System.
It said engineers were immediately deployed to isolate the affected transmission line and begin restoring the power network.
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Coordination
According to GRIDCo, the exercise was being carried out in coordination with other agencies within Ghana’s power sector.
GRIDCo said electricity had already been restored to some affected communities, while work continued to reconnect customers who remained without power.
The company assured the public that its technical teams had been fully mobilised and were working to restore normal power supply as quickly and safely as possible.
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