The Executive Director of the African Centre for Energy Policy, Ben Boakye, has described the recent fire outbreak at the Ghana Grid Company Limited substation near Akosombo as a preventable incident, blaming long-standing negligence and weak accountability within Ghana’s energy sector.
Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile on May 2, Mr. Boakye said the situation should not have occurred given the strategic importance and age of the facility.
“Thanks to those who worked on GRIDCo to bring Akosombo back on stream. But I have been grieving about that situation since last week. It never should have happened.” - Ben Boakye
Aging Infrastructure and Overlooked Systems
The fire, which occurred on April 23, damaged part of the Akosombo substation switchyard, disrupting electricity transmission and affecting supply across parts of the country.
Mr. Boakye noted that while generation assets such as turbines have undergone upgrades over the years, critical transmission infrastructure has not received the same level of attention.
“You have a switchyard and control systems built in the 60s. We have retrofitted turbines, but we did not pay attention to the switchyard that carries the load to our homes.” - Ben Boakye
He argued that the failure to modernise essential systems has left the power network vulnerable to avoidable disruptions.
The energy policy expert stressed the need for improved maintenance practices and the adoption of modern safety technologies, including automated shutdown systems and fire suppression mechanisms.
Drawing comparisons with newer substations such as those in Pokuase and Kasoa, he said such facilities are equipped with advanced monitoring and protection systems.
“If you look at new substations like Pokuase and Kasoa, they have modern safety systems. These are not expensive things,” he said, adding that reliance on manual responses increases the risk of large-scale damage.
Accountability Concerns in the Energy Sector
Beyond infrastructure, Mr. Boakye pointed to systemic accountability challenges within the sector, warning that lapses in oversight can have significant economic consequences.
“Accountability is so defective in the energy sector. Basic things don’t get done, and when they don’t get done, they cost all of us billions of dollars,” he cautioned.
His remarks add to growing scrutiny over the resilience of Ghana’s power infrastructure and the need for sustained investment and institutional reforms to prevent future incidents.
