The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo) Ltd., Ing. Frank Asirifi Otchere, says Ghana’s electricity sector reforms, especially the creation of an independent transmission entity, have played a crucial role in expanding and improving the country’s transmission infrastructure.
Speaking during a session at the 60th Annual General Meeting of the Association of Power Utilities of Africa (APUA) in Accra on the theme, “Understanding the Reform Landscape: What Has Changed Since 2019? From Evidence to Action: Reform Priorities for African Utilities,” Ing. Otchere explained that GRIDCo was established in 2008 following the separation of the transmission function from the Volta River Authority (VRA).
He said prior to the establishment of GRIDCo, Ghana’s transmission network faced major challenges, including ageing infrastructure and limited capacity, making expansion and system reliability key priorities for the newly created company.
According to Ing. Otchere, the reforms have produced significant improvements, with the country’s transmission network expanding to more than twice its former size in terms of circuit kilometres.
He said the growth of the network demonstrates the positive outcomes of the power sector restructuring and the investments made since GRIDCo began operations.
Ing. Otchere added that GRIDCo has undertaken major upgrades to strengthen grid stability and improve the system’s ability to integrate electricity generated from renewable sources, particularly solar energy.
He noted that these interventions have contributed to Ghana’s transmission network being recognised as one of the strongest in West Africa.
The GRIDCo CEO also highlighted that power sector reforms encouraged private sector involvement in electricity generation, helping to boost the country’s overall generation capacity.
However, he acknowledged that further investments and reforms are still required to build a more resilient electricity system capable of responding to increasing demand and supporting Ghana’s transition towards cleaner energy.