We can ensure reliability by working with companies that can build factories that will produce transformers, cables and meters in a cost-effective manner.

in figures

Ghana's electrification rate:85.33-86%

Total length of Ghana's transmission lines:7,200 kilometres

Ghana’s electricity companies

Ghana

February 2, 2022

Ghana’s electricity companies need a transmission system capable of matching the improving output capacity of their power plants. In support of our upcoming new report The Energy Year Ghana 2022 we are offering this free high-resolution PDF map of the Ghana’s transmission network.

The Energy Year Ghana 2022 is out now.

In the past few years, Ghana’s power sector has achieved a supply overcapacity while transitioning from oil-based generation to natural gas-fuelled plants. The Energy Sector Recovery Programme (ERSP) is a five-year plan aimed at enabling the sector’s financial viability and upgrading transmission and distribution systems in the country to match the growing power supply. The challenge lies in the fact that Ghana’s power demand doubles every decade, with an approximate annual increase of 10%.

While electrification in Ghana has stood at 85.33-86% since the end of 2020, the government is prioritising the development of transmission infrastructure to efficiently evacuate power from generation hubs to several load centres.

Click here to download the free map

Ing. Ebenezer Kofi Essienyi, chief executive of Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo) said, “We have a lot of legacy lines, some more than 50 years old. We need to completely reconstruct these lines to extend the lifecycle of these transmission corridors for the next 30-40 years. There will also be the need to upgrade transformer capacities in the Kumasi and Takoradi metropolitan areas, the second- and third-largest cities in Ghana. This will ensure suitable voltages to power home appliances and support our industrial customers.”

Ghana’s transmission network is a key piece in the government’s plan to revamp the power sector, which has to tackle the main challenges around outdated infrastructure, electricity theft and commercial losses. With 7,200 kilometres of lines and 65 bulk supply points, the losses on the power distribution grid are expected to be around 5.1% of total production, with 25% of electricity misplaced in the retail section.

Aside from revamping old transmission lines, the plan also includes the relocation of power plants; the installation of bulk supply stations to stabilise voltages, reduce outages and enhance the quality and reliability of electrification; and the development of an electricity metering system to reduce theft.

Ghana’s power sector involves a network of private and public companies. “We can ensure reliability by working with companies that can build factories that will produce transformers, cables and meters in a cost-effective manner, taking advantage of the key players in the market,” managing director of the Northern Electricity Department Company (NEDCo) Osmani Ayuba said.

Ghana’s electricity companies in the public sector: