The Energy Committee of Parliament has begun a three-day working visit to various energy agencies across the country, with the first stop at the Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo).
During the visit, GRIDCo management raised serious concerns about the growing threat of illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, describing it as one of the major challenges currently facing the company.
According to the company, illegal miners operating near power transmission lines have become increasingly aggressive, with some reportedly attacking and even shooting at GRIDCo personnel while they carry out maintenance work.
This, management says, has made it extremely dangerous for staff to perform their duties, particularly in areas heavily affected by galamsey operations.
Management further warned that if the government does not urgently intervene by providing adequate security, the activities of illegal miners could soon compromise critical power infrastructure.
“The situation, if not addressed, may soon affect power lines that supply electricity to the entire country,” said Ing. Hussaini Adams, Director of System Operations at GRIDCo.
Despite these challenges, Ing. Adams noted that the current available power generation capacity stands at 4,048 megawatts, while peak demand is around 3,077 megawatts indicating that Ghana has enough power to meet current national demand.
However, he pointed out that GRIDCo is also dealing with issues such as land encroachment and the high costs associated with paying compensation to landowners and farmers, which continue to place a financial strain on the company.
He cautioned the public, especially encroachers, to stay away from GRIDCo’s transmission lines, warning that such actions not only impede operations but also pose serious safety risks.
Chairman of the Parliamentary Energy Committee, Emmanuel Bedzrah, who is also the Member of Parliament for Ho West, assured GRIDCo management of the committee’s full support in addressing these pressing challenges.
He also called on illegal miners to refrain from operating near power lines and to stop attacking GRIDCo staff who are carrying out their national duties.
The Chairman also expressed concern over persistent power outages in parts of the Volta Region.
In response, GRIDCo revealed that an expansion project is currently underway to boost power supply to communities along the eastern corridor, aimed at improving reliability and addressing the outages.
