The Deputy Minister for Energy and Green Transition, Hon. Richard Gyan-Mensah (MP), has visited the Obuasi GRIDCo substation following a catastrophic fire outbreak that occurred on May 21, 2025, crippling the area’s electricity supply. The fire incident plunged Obuasi and nearby communities, including New Edubiase, into darkness, raising concerns over grid resilience and emergency preparedness.
The visit, directed by the Minister for Energy and Green Transition, aimed to assess the extent of damage to the facility, monitor the progress of emergency restoration works, and reassure the public of government intervention.
During his inspection, Hon. Gyan-Mensah was briefed by engineers and technicians from GRIDCo and the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG). The fire was reported to have completely destroyed essential infrastructure, including power transformers, control room facilities, and underground cable networks.
“The scale of damage is extensive. The destruction of underground cabling and key components has made immediate full restoration impossible, but significant progress has been made.”
Hon. Richard Gyan-Mensah (MP), Deputy Minister for Energy and Green Transition
He noted that partial restoration of electricity had already been achieved in several parts of Obuasi through temporary measures, although load-shedding remains in place due to limited system capacity.
Hon. Gyan-Mensah was accompanied by the Ashanti Regional Minister, Hon. Dr. Frank Amoakohene; Member of Parliament for Obuasi West, Hon. Kweku Kwarteng; MCE for Obuasi Municipal, Hon. Faustilove Appiah Kanin; and MCE for Obuasi East, Hon. Kofi Adzowu.
According to engineers, emergency works to establish a temporary power distribution setup are well underway and are expected to be completed by July 3, 2025. This will enable a near full restoration of electricity supply to the affected areas.
Senior GRIDCo engineer explained, “We have put in place a temporary network, but it’s not a permanent fix. A full rewiring and replacement of critical systems must follow to ensure long-term grid stability.”
The engineers also indicated that a planned outage will be necessary during the transition from the temporary system to the newly rewired underground grid.
Communities will be given advance notice of one to two days prior to this switch to minimize disruptions. Alternative power lines will be utilized to ease the transition and maintain service continuity as much as possible.
Government’s Commitment and Appeal to Residents
Hon. Gyan-Mensah used the occasion to reassure residents of Obuasi and its environs of government’s commitment to restoring a reliable electricity supply as soon as possible. He confirmed that the Ministry of Energy and Green Transition is working in close collaboration with GRIDCo and ECG to expedite all repair and restoration activities.
“I want to thank the affected communities for their resilience and patience during this difficult period.
“The government understands the social and economic implications of this outage and is doing everything possible to meet the restoration deadline.”
Hon. Richard Gyan-Mensah (MP), Deputy Minister for Energy and Green Transition
He urged residents and stakeholders to protect public infrastructure, stressing that acts of vandalism, negligence, or poor maintenance could lead to similar incidents in the future.
“We must all work together to protect the assets that serve us.
“ECG and GRIDCo facilities are national properties, and their safety and maintenance are everyone’s responsibility.”
Hon. Richard Gyan-Mensah (MP), Deputy Minister for Energy and Green Transition
The fire outbreak has had a significant impact on households, businesses, and essential services across the affected communities.
The fire at the Obuasi GRIDCo substation underscores the vulnerability of Ghana’s energy infrastructure and the need for more robust safety protocols and disaster recovery plans.
With July 3 as the target date for full restoration, all eyes are on the Ministry of Energy, GRIDCo, and ECG to deliver as promised.
In the long term, Ghana must prioritize the modernization of its power transmission infrastructure, invest in redundancy systems, and implement stronger asset protection strategies to ensure reliable service delivery and minimize the risk of future outages.
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