Rising Electricity Demand Pushes Ghana’s Grid into Risk Territory – IES
The Institute for Energy Security (IES) has warned that Ghana’s power sector is entering a “higher-risk zone” as rising electricity demand continues to outpace critical investment in transmission infrastructure.
The warning follows a surge in peak demand, reflecting increased economic activity and growing consumption across households and industry.
However, the IES cautions that this growth has not been matched by corresponding upgrades to the transmission network, creating structural weaknesses within the power system.
“The system is increasingly characterised by congested transmission corridors, rising technical losses, overburdened infrastructure, and ageing, obsolete equipment, all of which pose a direct threat to grid stability, system reliability, and efficient power delivery. With demand now exceeding 4,280 megawatts, Ghana’s power system is entering a higher-risk zone for supply shortfalls if capacity expansion and grid improvements do not keep pace with demand growth,” the analysis noted.
IES warned that without timely capacity expansion and targeted grid modernisation, the country could face an increased risk of power supply deficits, particularly during periods of peak demand.
These persistent inefficiencies in the power sector could drive up operational costs for businesses, weaken industrial productivity, and slow overall economic growth.
The institute is therefore calling for urgent, coordinated investment strategies and regulatory reforms to strengthen the resilience of Ghana’s energy infrastructure.
It urged government, regulators, and development partners to prioritise reinforcement of the transmission network as a matter of national strategic importance, stressing that decisions taken now will shape the reliability, efficiency, and competitiveness of the power sector for decades.
Upgrading existing transmission infrastructure with high-capacity conductors would reduce system overloading, minimise technical losses, and provide essential redundancy under contingency conditions, thereby improving overall network performance.
At the same time, developing additional high-voltage transmission lines would significantly enhance bulk power transfer capacity, strengthen supply security to major demand centres, and improve system flexibility, particularly during peak periods.
Reinforcing key transmission corridors would create alternative power flow paths, reduce exposure to single-point failures, and enhance overall system resilience.
Investments in reactive power compensation and system upgrades would also improve voltage stability, enhance the quality of electricity supplied to consumers, and support the integration of renewable energy sources, particularly in areas where variability presents operational challenges.
In addition, replacing ageing and overburdened transformers and substation equipment has become critical to eliminating operational bottlenecks, ensuring compliance with modern technical standards, and maintaining system reliability.
Expanding transformation capacity at key nodes would not only meet rising electricity demand but also improve redundancy and ensure a more stable and dependable supply to end-users.
There is also a need to optimise the network to reduce both technical and commercial losses, thereby improving transmission efficiency and enhancing the cost-effectiveness of power delivery.
Strengthening interconnection capacity would further support cross-border electricity trade, boost Ghana’s competitiveness within the regional power market, and create opportunities for revenue generation through power exports.
