Residents and businesses in Cape Coast and surrounding communities in Ghana’s Central Region are expected to experience a full-day power interruption on Thursday, January 8, 2026, as part of a major upgrade to the area’s electricity infrastructure.
The Ministry of Energy and Green Transition, in collaboration with the Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCo), has announced the planned outage to facilitate the replacement of a key transformer at the Cape Coast Substation.
“The Ministry wishes to inform residents in the Central Region, particularly Cape Coast and its surrounding communities, that there will be a planned interruption in power supply from 06:00AM to 10:00PM.”
Ministry of Energy and Green Transition
The Ministry explained that the upgrade will effectively double the substation’s capacity, positioning it to meet growing electricity demand in Cape Coast and its environs.
“This outage is necessary to allow GRIDCo engineers to replace the existing 33MVA transformer at the Cape Coast Substation with a new 66MVA transformer.”
Ministry of Energy and Green Transition
Officials stressed that the current transformer has become insufficient to support the increasing load from households, businesses and public institutions in the fast-growing area.
Once completed, the upgrade is expected to enhance voltage stability, reduce the risk of overloads and minimize unplanned outages that have occasionally affected consumers in the Central Region.
Part of Broader National Power Strategy
The Ministry of Energy and Green Transition described the project as a critical component of government’s wider efforts to modernize Ghana’s electricity transmission infrastructure.
Over recent years, rising demand driven by population growth, urban expansion and industrial activity has placed additional pressure on substations across the country.
By increasing transformer capacity at strategic locations such as Cape Coast, authorities aim to ensure the grid remains resilient and capable of supporting long-term economic development.
“The upgrade would significantly enhance the substation’s capacity, enable more households and businesses in Cape Coast and its environs to connect to the national grid, and ensure improved quality, reliability, and stability of power supply.”
Ministry of Energy and Green Transition
While acknowledging the inconvenience the outage may cause, the Ministry assured the public that strict measures have been put in place to ensure the work is completed within the scheduled timeframe.
“GRIDCo engineers, under the strict supervision of the Ministry, have put in place all necessary measures to ensure that the work is completed efficiently and within the scheduled timeframe.”
Ministry of Energy and Green Transition
The Ministry emphasized that safety considerations require a complete shutdown of supply during the replacement process, making the planned outage unavoidable.
Residents have been advised to make adequate arrangements ahead of time, particularly businesses and essential service providers that may need alternative power sources during the outage period.
Long-Term Benefits for Residents and Businesses
Energy sector analysts note that while planned outages can be disruptive in the short term, infrastructure upgrades of this nature often deliver significant long-term benefits.
The installation of a higher-capacity transformer is expected to support new connections, accommodate future demand growth and reduce pressure on the local distribution network.
For Cape Coast, a regional capital with growing commercial and educational activities, improved power reliability is seen as critical to sustaining economic growth.
The upgrade is also expected to support the expansion of small and medium-sized enterprises, many of which depend on consistent electricity supply to operate efficiently.
In its concluding remarks, the Ministry reiterated its commitment to improving electricity delivery nationwide, even as it appealed for public cooperation during the planned outage.
“The Ministry and GRIDCo regret any inconvenience this planned outage may cause and assure the public of their continued commitment to supporting national development through reliable and improved power delivery.”
Ministry of Energy and Green Transition
Authorities say similar targeted upgrades will continue across the country as part of ongoing efforts to build a more robust, efficient and future-ready power system for Ghana.
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