Ghanaians face fresh dumsor concern as gov’t completely shuts down Akosombo Dam

Maxwell Nyagamago 11:48 - 27 April 2026

The Akosombo Dam via Shutterstock

Ghana shuts down Akosombo Dam after a fire at the GRIDCo substation cuts power supply, worsening nationwide outages and raising concerns among citizens.

Government has shut down the Akosombo Dam after a major fire at the Ghana Grid Company substation.
The fire caused significant power loss, cutting national supply by up to 1,000 megawatts and disrupting electricity exports.
Authorities say the shutdown has worsened nationwide outages, raising fresh concerns for households and businesses.

Ghanaians are facing fresh concerns following the government’s decision to completely shut down the Akosombo Dam.

The decision, disclosed by the Ministry of Energy and Green Transition, follows a devastating fire outbreak at the Ghana Grid Company substation at Akosombo.

The fire, which occurred on April 23, 2026, reduced the national power supply by about 720 to nearly 1,000 megawatts. As a result, Ghana halted electricity exports and began a nationwide assessment of its energy infrastructure.

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Speaking in an interview on Accra-based Citi FM on Monday, April 27, the Ministry’s spokesperson, Richmond Rockson, explained that the fire destroyed the switch system at the Akosombo Dam, rendering it inoperable and necessitating an immediate shutdown.

Spokesperson of the Ministry of Energy and Green Transition, Richmond Rockson

He said:

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. It was even difficult for us to walk there when we got there to assess the situation.

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Photos of the recent fire outbreak at the Akosombo power control center via citinewsroom

He continued:

When that happened, we had to shut the Akosombo Dam completely, and so that is what caused the outages in many parts of the country, as we are seeing. Because Akosombo is a major component when it comes to our power generation.

The Akosombo GRIDCo substation fire THAT wiped 1000 megawats of power off Ghana's national GRID.

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The development adds to the challenges facing Ghanaians amid ongoing intermittent power outages, which have affected several businesses across the country.

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