By Lawrence Odoom/Phalonzy
Ghana’s electricity generation architecture has been fortified with the successful restoration of a fifth unit at the Akosombo Dam, as engineers press ahead with phased efforts to stabilize power supply following recent system-wide disruptions.
Minister for Energy and Green Transition, John Jinapor, confirmed that the unit “has been fully commissioned and is now operational,” marking a critical milestone in the recovery process.
In a Facebook update on Thursday, April 30, Mr. Jinapor lauded the flawless recommissioning exercise.
“A while ago, the 5th unit at Akosombo was successfully commissioned and is now fully operational. The startup was carried out smoothly, demonstrating effective teamwork and coordination,” he stated.
The Minister emphasized that the reactivated turbine delivers a consequential uplift to national output. “This brings an important boost to generation capacity and will contribute to a more stable and reliable power supply,” he added.
The breakthrough follows a debilitating fire that engulfed the plant’s control room, triggering a total shutdown of all six generation units. The inferno disrupted critical systems and excised “more than 1,000 megawatts of power to the national grid,” precipitating intermittent outages across the country.
Since the incident, technical teams have executed a methodical, phase-by-phase restoration to ensure system integrity and operational safety.
President John Dramani Mahama, during an assessment visit to the facility, reframed the setback as a strategic aperture for infrastructure renewal.
“This presents an opportunity to replace it with a more modern control room that will serve this Akosombo Plant for generations yet to come,” he said.
The ongoing restoration is projected to alleviate mounting pressure on the national grid as full generation capacity is progressively reinstated, anchoring Ghana’s drive toward energy resilience and long-term power security.