Power reliability across the Ashanti Region is set for a significant turnaround as the Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo) advances work on a fifth feeder line expected to be fully operational by the end of the year.
The critical infrastructure project, aimed at easing severe pressure on the existing transmission network, will stabilize electricity supply for over 1.5 million households and commercial enterprises throughout Kumasi and surrounding areas.
Progress on the project was evaluated during an inspection tour led by the Ashanti Regional Minister alongside a high-level delegation from both GRIDCo and the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG). The joint team visited key installation sites, including the Ridge substation, where engineers are actively replacing old equipment with a higher-capacity 145mVA transformer to accommodate the region’s surging energy demand.
The upgraded transformer has necessitated the construction of the fifth feeder, a move GRIDCo projects will pump an additional 80 megawatts into the local grid.
“We are working to add a fifth feeder. This would add to the transformer and increase the capacity to serve demand. And we project by December that work would be done,” Chief Executive Officer of GRIDCo, Ing Frank Asirifi Otchere, stated during the tour. “This would add an additional approximately 80MW capacity to the existing substation at Ridge.”
Simultaneously, major upgrade works are underway along the 161kV transmission line connecting Anwomaso to Ahodwo, where engineering teams are currently stringing sixty newly erected towers.
Highlighting the scope of the transmission upgrade, Ing. Otchere explained: “We thought to increase the capacity of the lines that connect Anwomaso to Ridge to enable more power to flow. The old-line circuit was about 360 mW capacitor. The new line is approximately 1000 mW capacitor. This would increase the capacity of the infrastructure in Kumasi. The contractor has completely decommissioned the whole transformer and its towers.”
To facilitate the ongoing infrastructure enhancements, ECG and GRIDCo have cautioned that residents should anticipate localized, intermittent power disruptions over the next month. Both service providers have stressed that the short-term inconvenience remains essential to achieving long-term network stability.
Addressing public concerns over the anticipated supply interruptions, Ashanti Regional Minister Dr. Frank Amoakohene assured consumers that a joint taskforce comprising representatives from the power utilities, the Information Services Department, and the Regional Coordinating Council will execute a targeted community outreach campaign to keep affected areas fully informed ahead of any scheduled outages.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana