• Ghana faces strain on its electricity network due to about 1,000 overloaded transformers.
• Authorities plan large-scale replacement and capacity upgrades to stabilize power distribution.
• The government says outages stem from distribution issues, not generation shortages.

The government of Ghana has outlined measures to address mounting pressure on its electricity network amid persistent outages. Local media reported the announcement on Monday, March 16, citing John Jinapor following a parliamentary session. He said that approximately 1,000 transformers are operating beyond capacity across the country.

John Jinapor said that multiple localities are experiencing recurrent disruptions due to overloaded transformers. These constraints expose users to frequent power interruptions. As a result, authorities have identified infrastructure bottlenecks as a key driver of current outages.

The government plans to replace or add transformers and install higher-capacity equipment. “By the end of the month, based on the ongoing competitive process at the ECG, we will begin the second phase of large-scale replacement of these transformers,” the minister said. He also cited “significant progress” in ongoing interventions targeting the affected transformers.

At the same time, authorities may redirect some consumers to alternative transformers to reduce pressure on heavily loaded installations. Officials have rejected the possibility of electricity rationing despite recent criticism over outages. They said the situation does not reflect a shortfall in generation capacity.

Instead, the government attributed the disruptions to technical and operational challenges in distribution and grid management. John Jinapor said that the country has sufficient generation capacity to meet national demand.

Ghana aims to increase renewable energy to 10% of electricity production by 2030 and 50% by 2060. Authorities discussed strengthening sector governance in November 2025 to support these targets. In January 2026, the government announced the mobilization of $1.47 billion to clear accumulated arrears in the power sector.

Abdel-Latif Boureima