The Ghana Grid Company LTD. (GRIDCo), The European Union (EU) and the French Development Agency (AFD) today jointly launched the €8.7million reconstruction of the 161kV transmission line from Anwomaso Substation to Kumasi Substation with a symbolic groundbreaking ceremony in Kumasi.
This landmark reconstruction, co-funded by the EU and AFD in Team Europe spirit is part of the critical transmission infrastructure upgrade projects being undertaken in the Ashanti Region aimed at enhancing power reliability, while securing the GhanaBurkina Faso interconnection line to allow Ghana to export power to Burkina Faso.
The project involves the upgrade of the existing 18km, single circuit 161kV transmission line (rated capacity of 364MVA) from the Ahodwo Substation to the Anwomaso Substation into a double circuit 161kV transmission (rated capacity ≈ 1,000MVA), including associated substation expansion activities.
In addition to this, the project also supported the upgrade of GRIDCo’s Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) and related Telecommunication system.
With the upgrade of the transmission line and the SCADA system, GRIDCo enhances real-time monitoring, control, and reliability of the national grid, reducing outages and improving operational efficiency not only in Kumasi, but also in the whole country. It also enables better integration of renewable energy sources and supports future smart grid developments for a more resilient energy infrastructure.
The Chief Executive of GRIDCo, Ing. Mark Baah stated: “This project has been in GRIDCo’s expansion plans for a long time. GRIDCo remains grateful for the technical and financial support from the European Union (EU) through the French Development Agency (AFD) that is enabling us to implement this Project.
It was part of a larger Project funded by AFD that facilitates the evacuation of power from the Anwomaso Generation Hub and support the export of electricity to Burkina Faso. GRIDCo, as the operator of the NITS, will continue to leverage on international partnerships that support its mission to provide a reliable grid for national development and drive sustainable development.
The reconstructed line is expected to be completed within 12 months and will result in improved reliability of power supply to Kumasi due to increase power transfer capacity between the Ahodwo and Anwomaso Substations. It will also result in reduced system losses and improved system reliability. The Minister of Energy, Dr. John Jinapor, commented: “The Ashanti Region is a fast-growing hub for generation capacity in Ghana. I am optimistic that once this project completes, power supply reliability for Kumasi will further improve to match demand which has been growing exponentially.”
The EU Ambassador to Ghana, H.E. Irchad Razaaly stated: “We remain fully committed to driving partnerships that build a smarter, more resilient power infrastructure for Ghana. Our goal is that this reconstruction not only delivers more reliable and efficient electricity to Kumasi but also supports climate-smart growth, strengthens cross-border energy trade, and reinforces the financial sustainability of the power sector for the long term.”
For his part, the Director of AFD, Mrs. Clementine Dardy, on behalf of the French Ambassador Jules Armand Aniambossou said: “The strengthening of the transmission network around Kumasi is not only a technical project — it is a strong symbol of our shared ambition for sustainable development, inclusive growth, and reliable access to energy for all.
France, through the Agence Française de Développement (AFD), is proud to support this transformative effort, in close partnership with the Government of Ghana and GRIDCo, to build a more resilient and sustainable energy future for all.”
