The Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCo) has announced that it is nearing completion of emergency repair works on a critical section of its 161kV transmission line running from Akwatia to New Obuasi, following significant damage caused by illegal chainsaw activity.
According to a press release signed by Dzifa Bampoh, Manager of Corporate Communications at GRIDCo, the damage occurred on March 17, 2025, at approximately 9:30 a.m., when an illegally felled tree crashed onto a key transmission tower, severely affecting electricity supply to Kumasi and surrounding areas in Ghana’s middle belt.
GRIDCo’s engineering team responded immediately, but initial assessments revealed extensive structural damage.
The repairs involved deploying heavy-duty machinery to create access to the affected site, dismantling the collapsed tower and conductors, and reconstructing a new tower from the ground up.
As of Thursday, April 17, the new tower has been fully rebuilt, with the final phase of conductor stringing expected to be completed by Sunday, April 20.
Once finished, the line will be restored to service, improving power reliability in Kumasi and nearby regions.
The utility company used the incident to highlight the growing threat of illegal activities such as unauthorized logging and illegal mining (“galamsey”) that continue to endanger national transmission infrastructure.
GRIDCo is calling on the public to help combat these destructive practices to protect the country’s electricity network.
GRIDCo extended its apologies to residents of Kumasi and surrounding areas for the disruptions caused and expressed appreciation for their patience during the repair period.
Source :www.kumasimail.com
