Ghana’s Minister for Energy and Green Transition, Hon. Dr. John Abdulai Jinapor, has called on the public, particularly residents in Accra, to exercise patience as the Electricity Company of Ghana undertakes a major transformer replacement and upgrade programme aimed at improving power supply reliability.
The initiative involves the installation of 12 new transformers across six primary substations located in Adenta, La, Teshie Nungua, Nmai Dzor, Baatsona, and Lashibi.
The upgrades are expected to increase capacity from 26 MVA to 39 MVA, thereby enhancing load handling capability and reducing system overloads in rapidly growing communities.
As part of the process, temporary power outages are being implemented to facilitate the installation works.
Speaking to journalists after inspecting progress at ECG’s Nungua District Office primary substation, Hon. Dr. Jinapor commended the company’s management and technical team, noting that the project follows a detailed assessment of the distribution network.
He explained that the review identified longstanding challenges, including underinvestment, aging infrastructure, and limited network expansion.
The Minister added that the transformer currently being replaced had been in operation for 22 years, making the upgrade necessary to meet increasing electricity demand in the area.
He further disclosed that the exercise will be expanded nationwide, with the next phase scheduled for Kumasi before extending to other regions.
Hon. Dr. Jinapor urged affected residents to cooperate during the short term disruptions, emphasizing that the upgrades will deliver long term improvements in power stability.
He also praised engineers for their efforts and acknowledged the support of the President and the Ministry of Finance in facilitating the initiative.
However, he expressed concern over what he described as a lack of urgency among some staff, warning that underperformance could lead to restructuring if improvements are not seen.
He noted that district and regional managers are expected to be proactive and revealed that key performance indicators KPIs have been introduced to drive efficiency and accountability.
Meanwhile, Managing Director of ECG, Ing. Julius Kwame Kpekpena, announced plans to install more than 2,000 distribution transformers between this year and next year to further strengthen electricity supply across the company’s operational areas.