GRIDCo power outage today: Parts of Accra face 15-hour electricity cut

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Parts of Greater Accra are facing a planned 15-hour power interruption today, Sunday, 23 August, as GRIDCo carries out critical work on a transmission tower damaged at Ashaiman.

ACCRA, Ghana — Residents and businesses in several parts of Greater Accra are facing a 15-hour electricity interruption today, Sunday, 23 August, as the Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCo) continues critical work on a damaged transmission tower at Ashaiman. The interruption is scheduled from 3:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and affects communities within parts of the Electricity Company of Ghana’s Accra West and Accra East operational areas, according to notices reported by multiple Ghanaian news organisations.

The shutdown is required to allow GRIDCo engineers and technical teams to safely complete remaining work on a transmission tower on the 161kV Tema-Achimota transmission line. The tower was damaged following a tanker explosion, prompting emergency intervention to restore the integrity and reliability of the transmission infrastructure.

TODAY’S POWER OUTAGE Accra service interruption

Accra areas affected by today’s power outage

The affected communities cover densely populated residential neighbourhoods as well as important commercial areas of the capital.

ZONE 01

Accra West operational area

WEST

Affected locations include:

James Town Mamprobi Chorkor Sempe Parts of Kaneshie North Industrial Area Okaishie Agbogbloshie Kantamanto Adabraka Parts of Ridge Tesano Santana Market Parts of Alajo Malam Atta Market Asylum Down

Surrounding communities may also experience interruptions.

ZONE 02

Accra East operational area

EAST

Affected locations include:

Nima Township Kanda Highway Kanda Estate Kokomlemle Sulana Circle Madina Township Okponglo Cantonment Osu Oxford Street

Surrounding communities within the affected operational area may also lose supply.

Residential impact Multiple densely populated neighbourhoods

Commercial impact Markets and business districts included

Coverage note Nearby communities may also be affected

Why is the power off in parts of Accra today?

GRIDCo says the interruption is necessary to allow its engineers to continue replacement work on the damaged transmission tower and safely restore the affected transmission infrastructure. The company had previously carried out an initial phase of emergency work on the Ashaiman section of the Tema-Achimota line.

GRIDCo’s official press-release archive records an “Emergency Tower Restoration Works” notice dated 15 August and an “Update: Tower Replacement Work on Ashaiman Section of 161kV Tema-Achimota Transmission Line” dated 16 August.

The initial work did not end the repair programme, making today’s intervention part of a continuing effort to restore the affected transmission infrastructure. That distinction is important. Today’s interruption is a planned engineering shutdown connected to emergency repairs, rather than evidence by itself of an unplanned nationwide electricity failure.

What caused the damage?

GRIDCo has previously said the transmission tower was damaged after a fuel tanker exploded while welding work was being undertaken on the vehicle within the transmission line’s right-of-way.

The incident occurred on 10 July, according to reporting based on GRIDCo’s account. Part of the tanker reportedly struck a nearby transmission tower and compromised its structural integrity. The damage subsequently required emergency work on the high-voltage transmission infrastructure. GRIDCo carried out preliminary work on 16 August before scheduling the remaining tower replacement work for today.

What residents should do during the 15-hour outage

Residents in affected communities should prepare for electricity supply to remain unavailable for much of today. Phones and other essential devices should be charged where possible. Households should minimise unnecessary opening of refrigerators and freezers during the interruption to help preserve their internal temperature.

People who rely on electrically powered medical equipment should follow their established contingency arrangements and seek appropriate professional assistance where necessary. Residents should also treat electricity infrastructure as live even during an outage and should not approach fallen cables, substations or transmission equipment.

Businesses could face a full working-day disruption

The 15-hour window could have a significant operational impact because several affected communities contain markets, shops, offices and other commercial activity. Businesses dependent on refrigeration, electronic payment terminals, internet connectivity, machinery or other electricity-powered systems may need alternative arrangements until normal supply is restored.

Areas on the published list include Kantamanto, Okaishie, Agbogbloshie, North Industrial Area, Circle and Osu Oxford Street, placing parts of Accra’s commercial economy within the affected zone. GRIDCo said it was working with ECG to mitigate the effect of the interruption on customers and communities while the engineering work is completed.

When should electricity return?

The scheduled maintenance window ends at 6:00 p.m. today.

Residents should, however, distinguish the announced maintenance window from a guaranteed restoration time for every individual property. Local distribution faults or operational circumstances can affect individual customers separately.

GRIDCo has apologised for the disruption and appealed for patience and cooperation while engineers complete the critical work. Customers experiencing electricity problems outside the announced interruption can consult the Electricity Company of Ghana’s system-status information and customer-service channels. ECG maintains outage information for its operational regions.

GRIDCO EXPLAINER

Why today’s GRIDCo work matters

GRIDCo operates Ghana’s National Interconnected Transmission System, which carries bulk electricity from generating facilities towards distribution utilities and major customers.

01 Generation Power plants

02 Transmission GRIDCo network

03 Distribution ECG network

04 Customers Homes and businesses

Transmission infrastructure such as the Tema-Achimota line therefore performs a different function from the local distribution network that ultimately supplies individual homes and businesses.

Why a shutdown can be necessary

Damage to a high-voltage transmission tower can require controlled shutdowns so engineers can safely replace compromised infrastructure without exposing workers or the public to unacceptable risk.

Purpose of today’s work Completing the Ashaiman repair is intended to restore the integrity and reliability of an important section of Greater Accra’s transmission network.

SERVICE IMPACT

At a glance

Planned interruption

Time window 3:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Sunday, 23 August 2026

Maximum duration Up to 15 hours Subject to completion of repair work

What: Planned GRIDCo electricity interruption
Where: Parts of Greater Accra
Infrastructure: 161kV Tema-Achimota transmission line
Repair location: Ashaiman section
Transmission operator: GRIDCo
Distributor: ECG
Reason: Completion of emergency transmission-tower replacement work

What readers should understand

This is transmission-network work rather than routine local distribution maintenance. The interruption allows engineers to complete repairs on high-voltage infrastructure serving the wider system.