ECG Ashanti West PRO Apologises To Customers As Akosombo Substation Fire Triggers Widespread Outages
The Public Relations Officer for ECG Ashanti West, Benjamin Obeng Antwi, has apologised to customers affected by the recent power outages, following disruptions caused by a fire outbreak at the GRIDCo substation in Akosombo.
Speaking in an interview with Kofi Boakye on Nkwantannso on Opemsuo Radio, Mr. Obeng Antwi acknowledged the difficulties faced by consumers and appealed for patience as engineers work to restore stable electricity supply.
“We know we [ECG] are at fault and, first of all, I would like to apologise,” he said.
According to him, the fire incident at the Akosombo substation interrupted power transmission through the eastern corridor, which significantly affected supply to several parts of the country, especially the Ashanti Region.
He explained that Ashanti depends heavily on power transmitted from Akosombo through the Eastern Region, and once that route was affected, supply challenges became severe.
Mr. Obeng Antwi disclosed that from Thursday to Friday, about 60 to 70% of customers experienced outages due to the loss of supply from Akosombo.
He noted that although Ashanti Region has some local generation plants, they were not enough to fully meet demand after the disruption.
“What helped us was that we have generation plants in Ashanti Region, but supply in Kumasi reduced and not everyone could be served,” he stated.
The ECG official said the company fully understands the impact the outages have had on traders, students writing examinations, households, and other consumers.
He made an appeal to traders, many of whom rely heavily on electricity for their daily operations.
“Regarding the outages since Thursday, I want to appeal especially to traders. We understand the situation and how it has affected businesses, students writing examinations, and households,” he said.
Mr. Obeng Antwi added that some improvements began from Sunday, with information being shared on areas expected to experience outages as part of temporary load management measures.
He further assured the public that GRIDCo engineers and technical teams have been working continuously since the incident to restore supply.
“As the Minister of Energy said, measures have been put in place. Since the incident happened, GRIDCo officials and engineers have been working tirelessly. Some have not even gone home yet,” he added.
He expressed confidence that the situation would soon be resolved and normal supply restored.
