Transmission

Transmission of electrical energy plays a pivotal role in delivering power from its point of generation, such as power plants, to local substations, where it is subsequently distributed to homes and businesses. In Ghana, this vital task is managed by the Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCo). GRIDCo was established in accordance with the Energy Commission Act, 1997 (Act 541) and the Volta River Development (Amendment) Act, 2005 Act 692, to:

• Undertake economic dispatch and transmission of electricity from wholesale suppliers (generating companies) to bulk customers, which include the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo) and the Mines.
• Provide fair and non-discriminatory transmission services to all power market participants.
• Acquire and manage assets, facilities and systems required to transmit electrical energy.
• Provide metering and billing services to bulk customers.
• Carry out transmission system planning and implement necessary investments to provide the capacity to reliably transmit electric energy; and manage the Wholesale Power Market.

Electricity transmission in Ghana has seen a notable expansion to meet rising demand. The volume transmitted increased from 10,232 GWh in 2010 to 23,551 GWh in 2023. Transmission losses fluctuated, starting at 380 GWh in 2010, peaking at 1,076 GWh in 2021, and declining slightly to 908 GWh in 2023. This fluctuation underscores the need to enhance transmission efficiency and reduce energy losses within the electrical infrastructure.

This bar chart illustrates the percentage of transmission losses for GRIDCo relative to the total electricity transmitted from 2010 to 2023. The share of transmission losses has remained relatively stable over the years, fluctuating between 3.4% and 5.0%. In 2023, the percentage was 3.86%, indicating a slight decline from 4.1% recorded in 2022. This share is not much higher than the 0.4% to 3% losses at transmission levels observed in a survey of 27 European countries.