By Jibril Abdul Mumuni
Accra, April 21, GNA – Mr Kwame Kpekpena, the Managing Director (MD), Electricity Company of Ghana, said a significant portion of its distribution infrastructure, including transformers, cables, and substations, are overloaded, exceeding designed thermal limits.
The situation had led to widespread frequent supply interruptions, he said, adding however that a GHS 3.46 billion investment programme had been launched to address those challenges.
Speaking at a press conference in Accra on Monday, Mr Kpekpena said rapid urbanisation and population growth had placed enormous demand on a network that had not been upgraded at a commensurate pace.
“A significant portion of ECG’s distribution network has exceeded its designed thermal limits. The result is widespread overloading, particularly during peak periods, which leads to frequent faults, low-voltage conditions, and supply interruptions,” he said.
The scale of the problem, he said, was evident in the rising number of failed distribution transformers.
He noted that immediate interventions, valued at GHS 278 million, include the injection of 2,500 distribution transformers, replacement of rotten poles under Operation Keep the Lights On, and restoration of damaged substations.
He said short-to-medium term projects, estimated at GHS 1.2 billion, will involve new substation construction, reinforcement of regional systems, and upgrades of undersized conductors.
“ECG lost 834 transformers in 2023, a figure that rose to 1,064 in 2024. Of these, only about 300 were replaced by 2025, forcing affected customers to be transferred to adjacent transformers, further worsening the overload and reliability challenges,” he said.
Mr Kpekpena explained that years of underinvestment and poor planning in the distribution sector had weakened the network, despite improvements in generation and transmission.
“Ageing infrastructure, inadequate maintenance, and limited investment in modern technologies have contributed to inefficiency, technical losses, and unreliable supply,” he said.
The MD assured the public that ECG is committed to restoring reliability across all operational areas.
“We have a plan, we have a schedule, and we are committing all our resources to execute it,” he said,
He added that rigorous monitoring and reporting mechanisms would be instituted to ensure accountability.
The MD, however, apologised to customers for the inconvenience caused by outages and pledged to improve communication and response times.
GNA
Edited by Agnes Boye-Doe