Minister for Energy and Green Transition, John Abdulai Jinapor, has inspected ongoing emergency restoration works on the damaged Tema–Achimota 161kV transmission line near Ashaiman Middle East, following an incident that compromised one of the transmission towers.
The damage occurred when a fuel tanker undergoing welding works beneath the transmission line exploded, sending part of the tanker more than 300 metres into one of the transmission towers. The impact compromised the structural integrity of the tower and triggered emergency restoration works.
Mr. Jinapor cautioned the public against carrying out activities under electricity pylons, stressing that encroachment and unauthorised activities around transmission infrastructure pose serious risks to lives, property and the reliability of Ghana’s power supply.
He has consequently called on individuals and institutions encroaching on GRIDCo’s Right of Way to vacate the protected areas immediately. He warned that persons who fail to comply will face enforcement action in accordance with the law, in collaboration with the security services and relevant authorities.
Under L.I. 542, as amended by L.I. 1737, activities are prohibited within protected corridors extending 15 metres on either side of 161kV transmission lines and 20 metres for 330kV lines.
As part of the restoration process, GRIDCo will undertake planned maintenance works this coming weekend, which are expected to take a few hours. The exercise may result in temporary power interruptions in some parts of the Greater Accra Region.
Mr. Jinapor has appealed to residents who may be affected by the outages to bear with the authorities, explaining that the interruptions are necessary to facilitate the restoration works safely and improve the reliability of the transmission system.
He stressed the need for collective responsibility in protecting electricity transmission corridors, noting that safeguarding the infrastructure is critical to protecting lives and property and ensuring a stable power supply for the country.
Story by Freedom Etsey Lavoe