Thousands of households and businesses across Ghana’s southern belt are bracing for a week of scheduled power cuts after the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) announced a seven-day maintenance exercise spanning five regions, beginning Sunday, September 13.
The outages, which will run through Saturday, September 19, are scheduled for 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. in most affected areas, though ECG said timelines may vary in some locations. The power distributor attributed the interruptions to emergency maintenance works following multiple faults that have recently disrupted supply within its distribution network.
According to ECG, the outages are linked to technical challenges in the power distribution system, with engineers scheduled to carry out urgent repairs and system upgrades aimed at improving service reliability and preventing further faults. The exercise forms part of a series of planned and emergency maintenance operations announced in recent weeks as ECG works to stabilise electricity supply and address challenges within its distribution infrastructure.
Greater Accra and Tema: Day-by-Day Breakdown
The Accra West and Tema regions will bear the brunt of the maintenance exercise, with four separate outage windows scheduled across the week.
Accra West Region:
· Tuesday, September 15, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.: Nsakina, Ga Odumase, Peace Village, Korleman and surrounding areas
· Wednesday, September 16, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.: New Bortianor, Cassava Farm, Oshiyie, Lantei, Doblo, Nsumia, KK City and surrounding areas
· Thursday, September 17, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.: Bubuashie, Anglican Church, Cemetery area, Doblo, Bungalow, Hebron, Medie and surrounding areas
· Friday, September 18, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.: Coaltar, Dorkrochiwa, Adeiso, Maame Dede, Annoff, Okrase and surrounding areas
Tema Region:
· Tuesday, September 15, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.: Adjetey Ansah, Manhean SHS, Bankuman, Naval Base Quarters, Tema New Town Station, Akplabanya, Ahwiam, Goi, Anyamam, Fridays, Lashibi Funeral Home, Vivian Farms, RMU, Sakumono, Bonavista, Posulipo, Mighty Beach, Aviation, New Jerusalem, Community 22 and Annex, Petrosol and surrounding areas
· Wednesday, September 16, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.: Bethlehem, Don Bosco, Tulaku, White House, EMEF, Mataheko, Gbetsile, Goshen, Central University, Noble Estate, Mandela Road, Celestial Down, Sege, Koluedo, Hwakpo, Kasseh, Aqua Safari, Tamatiku, Big Ada, Treasure Island, Ada Foah, Ocanseykope, Totope, Cambodia, Community 18 and surrounding areas
· Thursday, September 17, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.: Marina Mall, Baatsona Total Filling Station, Danpong Area, Timber Market, Transformer, Maranatha, Lawer University, Okpoigonno, Volta Estate, GlowLamp, Frimpomaa Estate and surrounding areas
· Friday, September 18, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.: Akuaba, Jehovah Witness Assembly Grounds, Manet Estate, Coastal Estate, Kasapreko Packaging and surrounding areas
Central Region:
· Monday, September 14, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.: Kwesimoko, Benso, Hillcity, Besease, Achiase, Afransi, Gyaman, Abamkrom, Kukurantumi, Abodom, Bobikuma, Kwaman, Eshiem, Kokofu, Tarkwa, Gomoa Oguaa, Odina, Gomoa Mankessim, Achias No.1, Akropong No.1 and surrounding areas
· Tuesday, September 15, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.: Senya township, Fetteh township, Ojobi, Bontroase, Akraman, Kofi Katu, Akoti, Breku and surrounding areas
· Wednesday, September 16, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.: Yoomat, Tipper Junction, Budumburam, Nkwantanan, Akrampa, GPRTU, Teacher Black Factory and surrounding areas
Volta and Ashanti Regions Also Affected
While the original ECG notice referenced outages in the Volta and Ashanti regions, specific community breakdowns for those areas were not immediately published in the same notice. However, the utility has in recent weeks announced multiple maintenance operations across the Ashanti Region, including a major Kumasi–Anwomaso transmission line upgrade that caused temporary outages in parts of the region.
The Volta Region, which falls under ECG’s Tema operational area for some communities, has also featured in recent maintenance schedules.
Root Causes: Akosombo Fire, Gas Shortages, Aging Infrastructure
The scheduled maintenance comes amid mounting pressure on Ghana’s power distribution infrastructure, which has faced a series of technical setbacks in 2026.
Energy Minister John Abdulai Jinapor has identified a makeshift technical arrangement at the Akosombo power plant as the root cause of intermittent blackouts affecting homes and businesses across the country. The temporary control system was installed at Akosombo after a fire and explosion at the GRIDCo substation in April made a bypass arrangement the only way to avoid a complete six-month shutdown of the facility.
The Akosombo fire incident, which knocked out close to 60 per cent of national grid capacity, also had cascading effects on telecommunications infrastructure. Communications Minister Samuel Nartey George noted that cell sites depend primarily on the national grid, with batteries or generators as backups. When the grid fails and generators are compromised—as occurred during the Greater Accra floods—telecom services are severely disrupted.
Ghana’s power generation mix remains heavily reliant on thermal plants, which accounted for 74.33 per cent of electricity generation in July 2026. While installed capacity stood at 5,818 MW with an available capacity of 4,968 MW—above the 18 per cent adequacy threshold—insufficient gas supply has forced power plants to burn costly liquid fuels, adding pressure to generation costs.
Government’s GH¢4 Billion Intervention Scheme
The Ministry of Energy has announced an 18-month intervention scheme to address the persistent power cuts, at a cost of at least GH¢4 billion.
Under the programme, 11 power station transformers will be installed across the Greater Accra Region, with an additional 30 expected to be deployed during the same period. The second phase, expected to run for three to six months, involves replacing about 2,000 deteriorated poles across Ghana. The final phase, accounting for about GH¢2 billion of the total budget, will address major backbone infrastructure, including 33-kilovolt feeders and regional system upgrades.
The IMF has also weighed in on Ghana’s energy sector challenges, urging the government to maintain its quarterly electricity tariff adjustment mechanism to curb rising fiscal burdens. Despite the power sector deficit narrowing from US1.4 billion in 2025, the IMF warned that the improvement was largely due to exchange rate movements rather than efficiency gains. Distribution losses remain at 27 per cent, above the World Bank’s 24 per cent target, while the bill collection rate stands at approximately 86 per cent.
Impact on Businesses and Households
The timing of the outages—spanning most of the working day—is expected to hit businesses that depend heavily on electricity during normal working hours. Small-scale manufacturers, cold storage operators, barbers, welders, and food vendors are among those likely to face operational disruptions.
Residents in the listed communities have been advised to make adequate preparations ahead of the scheduled outages. ECG has apologised for any inconvenience the exercise may cause.
For real-time updates and to verify whether their specific area is affected, customers can visit the ECG website, use the ECG PowerApp, or follow the utility’s official social media channels.
