Residents of the Sunyani Municipality are bracing for up to eight hours of daily rotational power outages after an explosion damaged a major electricity transformer that serves a large section of the area.
The Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo) has confirmed that a 33kV transformer at its Sunyani substation—one of the municipality’s most critical power installations—suffered a serious fault, sharply reducing electricity supply.
Addressing the media in Sunyani, the Area Manager of NEDCo, Ing Eugene Odoi Addo, said engineers are working to identify the exact cause of the failure, which has left the company able to supply only about 42 percent of the municipality’s available 11KVA power load.
The erratic power supply began around 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, 20 January 2026, when several communities were suddenly plunged into darkness. Ing. Odoi Addo explained that the incident was marked by a loud sound and smoke from the GRIDCo switchyard, prompting an immediate inspection.
“We heard a sudden sound and noticed smoke from the switchyard. After our engineers carried out checks, it became clear that one of the major transformers had been damaged and could no longer supply power to Sunyani,” he said.
As a temporary measure, NEDCo has introduced load management, with power outages rotating through the morning, afternoon and evening, and lasting up to eight hours daily until the fault is fully resolved.
“Our technical teams are carrying out detailed troubleshooting to determine the exact cause of the explosion. Until the issue is completely fixed, residents should expect power rationing,” Ing. Odoi Addo added.
He appealed to residents and businesses to use electricity judiciously, assuring the public that NEDCo is working tirelessly to restore stable power supply as quickly as possible.
Meanwhile, the Acting Manager of GRIDCo’s Techiman Area, Ing. Etse Mawuli, said GRIDCo engineers are collaborating closely with NEDCo to assess the fault and support repair works.
“Once the problem is clearly identified, we will move swiftly to carry out the necessary repairs within the shortest possible time,” he assured.
NEDCo has pledged to keep residents informed as investigations continue and repair works progress, urging calm and cooperation during the period of power rationing.
Source: asaaseradio.com
