Emergency restoration works at the Obuasi Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo) and Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) substations, which were affected by a devastating fire outbreak on May 21, are expected to be completed by Thursday, July 3.

According to engineers on site, the completion will allow for temporary full restoration of power to the affected areas.

A planned outage will be required when transferring load from the temporary system to the fully restored underground network, with prior notice of one to two days to affected communities.

Also, alternative power lines will be activated to minimise disruptions during the process.

The fire incident plunged Obuasi and surrounding communities, including New Edubiase, into darkness after it destroyed critical infrastructure, including transformers, underground cables, and the control room.

Emergency response teams from both GRIDCo and ECG ensured power was restored to parts of Obuasi, although load-shedding measures remain in place due to limited capacity.

Over the weekend, Deputy Minister for Energy and Green Transition, Hon. Richard Gyan-Mensah (MP), undertook a working visit to the Obuasi GRIDCo and ECG substations to assess the extent of the damage and review progress on the restoration efforts.

The visit followed instructions from the Hon. Minister for Energy and Green Transition, John Abdulai Jinapor.

Hon. Gyan-Mensah was accompanied by the Ashanti Regional Minister, Hon. Dr. Frank Amoakohene; Member of Parliament for Obuasi West, Hon. Kweku Kwarteng; MCE for Obuasi Municipal, Hon. Faustilove Appiah Kanin; and MCE for Obuasi East, Hon. Kofi Adzowu.

The deputy minister reassured residents and stakeholders of the government's commitment to ensuring a stable and reliable power supply. He emphasized that the ministry is working closely with GRIDCo and ECG to meet the July 3 deadline.

He expressed gratitude to the affected communities for their patience and cooperation and called on residents to protect ECG and GRIDCo infrastructure to prevent future occurrences.

Meanwhile, engineers have emphasised the need for a complete rewiring and replacement of major components as a long-term solution to prevent future disruptions.