A major fault on Ghana's national power grid triggered widespread outages on Wednesday, leaving the capital, Accra, the commercial hub of Kumasi and much of the north without electricity. Several power plants across the West African nation were forced to shut down in the early hours of Wednesday morning, the state-run power distribution company said.
The power utility firm did not say how long it would take for normal supplies to resume. Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCo) said in a statement:
“Our engineers and system operators are working continuously to restore power in the shortest time possible without compromising safety,”
Wednesday's power cut left homes, businesses and essential services without electricity across multiple regions of the country. Many commuters had problems getting to work as those whose phones were not charged had difficulty paying for transport, and in some cases ordering taxis via apps such as Uber.
The outage also affected small businesses and people relying on digital services, although big institutions, such as hospitals, tend to have back-up generators. GRIDCo said it was conducting a comprehensive technical investigation to determine the outage's cause.
Ghana has had regular power shortages for years, popularly known as
“dumsor,”meaning
“on and off”in the Akan language, but the situation has been improving. The latest blackout comes as the country continues to manage a power system that has been under strain for years.
Ghana, one of the world's biggest producers of both gold and cocoa, has in recent years started using gas to generate electricity to help with demand as the population grows and becomes more urbanised. Most of the country's electricity is generated by ageing hydropower plants, which have suffered from poor maintenance over years.
The addition of gas has eased power cuts, but the sector remains vulnerable to transmission failures and fuel supply interruptions. GRIDCo did not say how long it would take for normal supplies to resume.
To on developments from Ghana and the wider region, BBC Africa has also highlighted related coverage including stories on Ghana's tallest man, the central bank, fashion and education.
More BBC stories from Ghana:
Ghana mourns its tallest man - a 'generous and popular giant'
How Ghana's central bank lost $5bn in one year
Turning an iconic plastic bag into high fashion
'I was duped into leaving London for school in Ghana - but it saved me'
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