Officials say a new 161kV double-circuit line should steady supply in Ghana’s second city by December, but daytime outages continue until the work is done.
Residents of Kumasi who have endured daytime power cuts in recent weeks have been told the disruption has an end date.
The Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCo), which manages the national transmission network, and the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), which distributes power to homes and businesses, say the transmission and network upgrade under way in the city should be finished by the end of November 2026.
The assurance came at a stakeholder briefing and site inspection in Kumasi, reported by Ghanaian Times. The project is being funded with support from the Agence Française de Développement (AFD), the French development agency.
Why the lights keep going off
The final phase of the work runs from 30 October to 29 November. Crews are stringing new conductors between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. each day. For the safety of the workers, the existing live wires must be switched off during those hours, which is why many parts of the city lose power in the daytime.
As at 29 October, GRIDCo put the project at 70 per cent complete.
GRIDCo Chief Executive Frank Asirifi Otchere acknowledged that the timetable had slipped, including a shift from July partly to accommodate the World Cup, but said contractors were back at full strength.
"The contractor has assured us that barring any unforeseen occurrences, they should be able to finish," he said. He added that although the work was originally due to end on 16 November, the agreement with AFD allows it to run to the end of the month.
A line that has outlived the city's growth
For decades, Kumasi has depended on the ageing K1–K2 transmission line, two conductors running from Anwomaso to Ahodwo. That line has struggled during evening peak hours, when air conditioners and other appliances come on together.
The replacement is a 161kV double-circuit transmission line, which officials expect to carry the city's full load by December and deliver steadier supply.
The numbers behind the strain
ECG Deputy Managing Director David Asamoah said electricity demand in Greater Kumasi has climbed to 572.1 MVA against an installed capacity of 547 MVA. That means the network is running at about 105 per cent of what it was built to handle, which explains the low voltage and frequent feeder trips people complain about.
He said ECG has committed $46.7 million, £10.1 million and GH₵28 million to improvement works along key transmission and distribution corridors. On the Offinso–Barekese corridor, the transformer at Offinso has been doubled from 10 MVA to 20 MVA, and the unit it replaced has been moved to Barekese.
What to watch
For Ghanaians abroad with family or businesses in Kumasi, the practical test is December. If the new line carries the load as promised, the daytime cuts should stop. If the contractor misses the deadline, the schedule will need to be revised again.
