Akosombo Substation Fire Caused By Ageing Infrastructure, Not Sabotage – Investigation Committee

A committee investigating the fire outbreak at the Akosombo Substation has concluded that the incident was caused by insulation failure resulting from ageing infrastructure, ruling out sabotage or any deliberate human interference.

Presenting the committee’s report to the Minister for Energy and Green Transition, John Abdulai Jinapor, Chairman of the committee, Engineer William Amuna, said the fire originated from the changeover section of the low-voltage (LV) panel, where cables installed several decades ago had significantly deteriorated.

According to him, the affected facility dates back to around 1964, and years of operation had left many of the cables brittle, causing their insulation to break down and allowing abnormal electrical current to flow.

“The fire actually started from that changeover area of the LV panel,” Engineer Amuna explained, adding that the fault was triggered by insulation failure rather than any external action.

The committee found that the initial power supply automatically tripped at 311 amps after detecting the fault. However, a nearby transformer immediately took over the supply and continued feeding electricity into the affected section.

Engineer Amuna explained that because the second transformer was configured to trip only at 450 amps, the fault persisted, generating excessive heat until the insulation material ignited.

“Within a short time, the insulation, which is like plastic, caught fire,” he said.

The blaze spread rapidly through the substation because the damaged LV panel was connected to an extensive network of control cables serving the facility’s 11 outgoing transmission circuits.

“They had a lot of cables in there, and the LV cables were within those cables. They started burning and within a short time the whole place was ablaze,” he noted.

He stressed that the investigation found no evidence of sabotage or intentional human action.

“It actually started from insulation failure from some of the cables in the LV panel, and not anybody going to turn something or twist something or whatever,” he stated.
To improve the safety and reliability of the substation, the committee proposed both immediate and long-term interventions.

As an interim measure, Engineer Amuna said protection and control functions from the damaged facility are being transferred to the Akosombo Power Plant through a joint arrangement between the Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCo) and the Volta River Authority (VRA).

He expressed confidence that the temporary system would be fully operational by the end of August, allowing the restored protection and control functions to support stable electricity transmission.

For a permanent solution, the committee recommended the construction of a modern control building to replace the ageing facility, citing the Pokuase Substation as a model that meets current safety and operational standards.

Engineer Amuna estimated that a state-of-the-art control building could be completed within 18 to 24 months.

Receiving the report, Energy and Green Transition Minister John Abdulai Jinapor assured the committee that government would study and implement its recommendations.

“Let me assure you that we will take this report seriously. We will digest all the contents of the report and implement the report to the letter,” he said.

While commending engineers for restoring power following the incident, the Minister stressed that anyone found to have been negligent would be held accountable.

“Yes, it is true the engineers did a good job in restoring power. But that is not to say that if somebody is found culpable, that person will not be held to account. That is the call of duty,” he stated.

Mr. Jinapor described the incident as a wake-up call for Ghana’s energy sector, saying it highlights the urgent need to strengthen maintenance culture, improve emergency response systems and increase investment in transmission infrastructure.

He disclosed that some corrective measures had already been introduced following preliminary briefings from the committee and expressed confidence that the recommendations would help build a more resilient national grid.

The fire, which occurred on April 23, disrupted operations at the Akosombo Substation and affected electricity supply in several parts of the country after damaging critical transmission infrastructure.