ASEC Calls for Major Infrastructure Reforms After Akosombo Substation Fire

The Africa Sustainable Energy Centre (ASEC) has called for sweeping reforms in Ghana’s electricity transmission infrastructure, following the release of an investigative report into the recent fire at the Akosombo Substation.

Investigators attributed the incident to insulation failure caused by ageing infrastructure rather than sabotage. In a statement issued on Thursday, ASEC described the event as “a pure engineering and structural failure” that could and should have been prevented, and urged the Ministry of Energy and Green Transition to treat the findings as a national wake-up call.

Among the think tank’s most pointed recommendations is the adoption of routine infrared thermographic inspections across all major substations, transformers, switchgear and cable systems. The technology can detect hotspots, loose connections, overloaded circuits and deteriorating insulation before they escalate into catastrophic failures. ASEC argued that such predictive maintenance programmes would significantly reduce both equipment fires and the unplanned power outages that have become a recurring frustration for businesses and households alike.

The organisation also pressed for the installation of modern fire detection and automatic suppression systems at all critical transmission facilities. These should include early smoke and heat detection technologies, automatic sprinkler systems, intelligent fire zoning and remote monitoring capabilities. “A modern substation should be capable of detecting and suppressing a fire within seconds of ignition, thereby minimising equipment damage and service disruptions,” ASEC said.

One of the investigation’s most troubling findings was that after one transformer tripped at approximately 311 amps, a second transformer continued feeding power to the fault because its protection settings were configured to trip at a higher threshold. ASEC said this pointed to serious weaknesses in protection coordination and Short Circuit Coordination Studies, and recommended a comprehensive review of protection philosophies, relay settings and fault coordination across the national transmission network. “No transmission system should allow a fault to continue feeding unchecked due to inadequate protection coordination,” the organisation stated.

The call for stronger redundancy measures carried a particular urgency. ASEC warned that the lack of backup systems can turn localised faults into national emergencies, urging the Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo) and other stakeholders to prioritise redundant protection and control systems, backup communication networks, secondary power supplies, alternative control centres and additional transmission pathways.

Beyond hardware upgrades, ASEC advocated a fundamental shift from reactive to predictive maintenance, supported by technologies such as artificial intelligence, condition monitoring systems, online partial discharge monitoring, thermal imaging analytics and asset health management platforms. These tools, the organisation argued, would enable operators to identify potential failures before they result in service interruptions or major equipment losses.

ASEC acknowledged the successful restoration of electricity supply by engineers following the incident, but insisted the sector must use the experience to modernise. “The lessons from Akosombo are clear. We must move beyond reactive maintenance and embrace predictive technologies,” the organisation said. “We must improve protection coordination, strengthen fire suppression capabilities, and introduce robust redundancy across the grid. The reliability of Ghana’s power system depends on it.”

The centre added that it stands ready to work with the Ministry of Energy and Green Transition, GRIDCo, the Electricity Company of Ghana, the Volta River Authority, Ghana Gas, regulators and development partners to implement the reforms needed to build a safer and more resilient power sector.

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