The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) is upgrading its infrastructure in parts of Accra, Ghana’s capital, as demand for electricity increases due to rapid population growth and socio-economic activity.

The exercise, including the replacement and upgrading of 12 power transformers across six primary substations at Adenta, La, Teshie-Nungua, Nmai-Dzor, Baatsonaa, and Lashibi, is to enhance the reliability, stability, and capacity of the electricity supply.

“This intervention will significantly improve load-handling capability and reduce system overloads in these fast-growing communities.”

Francis Kofi Atsyatsya, General Manager of ECG Sub-Transmission, Accra, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview.

This was after some officials and a team of engineers from the Company embarked on a working visit to the Nmai-Dzor Substation to familiarise themselves with preparations for the transformer replacement and upgrade exercise.

The visit also aimed to give the media insight into the technical preparations currently underway, to appreciate the scale and importance of the upgrade exercise, and to understand the expected benefits to customers.

According to officials, more than 200 million Ghana Cedis have been sunk into the ongoing ECG-funded transformer replacement and upgrade exercise.

Mr Atsyatsya said as part of the project, the transformers would be upgraded from 20/26 MVA to 30/39 MVA, adding that the agenda was to improve the load-handling capability while reducing system overloads.

In the Energy Commission’s 2025 Energy Outlook for Ghana, projected electricity consumption for 2025 was estimated at 25,836 gigawatt hours (GWh), representing a 4.7 per cent increase from the expected consumption in 2024.

The projected total electricity consumption for 2024 was expected to be 24,688 GWh, representing a 4.8 per cent increase over 2023 consumption of 23,551 GWh, indicating growing demand for electricity, the Commission emphasised.

Dr Charles Nii Ayiku Ayiku, Acting Director of Communications, ECG, noted that to ensure the safety of ECG personnel and the successful execution of the works, the ongoing upgrading exercise would involve brief planned power outages in the affected areas.

“ECG assures customers that every effort will be made to minimise the duration and impact of these outages.

“Residents and businesses in the affected areas are kindly advised to take note of the published schedules and make the necessary arrangements,” he appealed.