The Ministry of Energy has confirmed that the Akosombo Dam has been completely shut down following a devastating fire at the Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo) substation in Akosombo, a development that has triggered widespread power outages across the country.

Ministry spokesperson Richmond Rockson said the decision to shut down the facility was unavoidable after critical infrastructure was destroyed in the blaze.

“The switch yard, which is at the Akosombo Substation, is completely burnt down and it is not salvageable. The primary control room for the switch yard is completely gone,” he said.

According to him, the extent of the damage made it impossible to safely continue operations at one of Ghana’s most important power generation facilities. He explained that engineers and officials who visited the site struggled to even access parts of the destroyed installation.

“It was even difficult for us to walk there when we got there to assess the situation,” he added.

The fire reportedly broke out around 2:01 p.m. on Thursday, April 23, engulfing the GRIDCo substation, which plays a key role in transmitting electricity from the Akosombo Dam to the national grid.

The Ministry says the shutdown of the dam has had a significant impact on power supply nationwide, given Akosombo’s central role in Ghana’s electricity generation mix.

Rockson stressed that the shutdown was a necessary safety measure following the destruction of the switch system, which has rendered operations in the area inoperable for now.

He spoke on the Citi Breakfast Show on Monday, April 27,

Investigations are expected to continue into the cause of the fire, while restoration works are likely to begin once technical assessments are completed.