KEY POINTS
- ECG has begun a GH¢34 million transformer replacement at Batsonaa Primary Substation in Accra.
- The project replaces two 26MVA transformers with 39MVA units, serving 70 percent industrial consumers.
- Batsonaa is the 12th substation upgraded under Ghana’s ongoing Transformer Replacement and Upgrade Programme.
Ghana’s Electricity Company of Ghana has started a GH¢34 million transformer replacement at the Batsonaa Primary Substation in Accra, swapping out two aging 26MVA transformers for higher-capacity 39MVA units in a project designed to cut the outages and low voltage that have frustrated residents and businesses in the area.
The project is the 12th installation under the government’s Transformer Replacement and Upgrade Programme, which is being carried out with Ministry of Energy support. The Batsonaa location was not chosen by accident. About 70 percent of customers it serves are industrial consumers, making it one of the most commercially sensitive substations in Greater Accra.
ECG General Manager for External Communications Charles Nii Ayiku Ayiku said the exercise was about building a network that holds up under pressure. “We hope that after these replacements, we will have a very strong network, reliable power supply and a stable system,” he said.
One transformer in, one more to come
The first transformer was installed Sunday, a deliberate scheduling choice. ECG General Manager for Sub-Transmission Francis Kofi Atsyatsyaha explained the timing: most industrial customers in the Batsonaa enclave do not operate on Sundays, which minimized the disruption. The second transformer replacement is scheduled before the end of June.
ECG has previously completed similar upgrades at Adenta, Nungua, Teshie, Kumasi and Akwatia. Transformers removed from upgraded substations are not being discarded. They are being redeployed to other locations that need additional capacity, including Akwatia, Saltpond and Tema, stretching the programme’s value further down the network.
Plans beyond Batsonaa
Atsyatsyaha confirmed that ECG plans to upgrade 22 substations across Greater Accra under the ongoing programme. More transformers are expected to arrive by the end of June to support subsequent phases. The nationwide exercise will continue beyond that delivery window as equipment becomes available.
Ayiku used the media briefing to remind residents to stay away from flooded areas during the rainy season where electrical installations may be exposed. He cautioned against approaching broken poles, fallen conductors or damaged ECG equipment, describing contact with such infrastructure as dangerous to life and property.
