Residents and businesses in Cape Coast and surrounding communities in the Central Region will experience a planned power outage this Thursday, January 8, 2026. 

The shutdown, scheduled from 6am to 10pm, is to facilitate a major equipment upgrade at the local substation.

The Ministry of Energy and Green Transition and the Ghana Grid Company Ltd. (GRIDCo) announced in a press release dated January 6, 2026 that engineers will use the window to replace the existing 33MVA transformer at the Cape Coast Substation with a new, higher-capacity 66MVA unit.

The Ministry framed the work as a critical infrastructure project. "This critical upgrade forms part of the government's broader agenda, being implemented through the Ministry and its agencies, to strengthen and expand the national power transmission infrastructure," the release stated.

It further explained that the transformer replacement will "significantly enhance the substation’s capacity, enable more households and businesses in Cape Coast and its environs to connect to the national grid, and ensure improved quality, reliability, and stability of power supply."

Authorities have sought to reassure the public that the interruption is carefully managed. 

"GRIDCo engineers, under the strict supervision of the Ministry, have put in place all necessary measures to ensure that the work is completed efficiently and within the scheduled timeframe, in order to restore power supply as quickly as possible," the notice read.

The release concluded with an apology and an assurance: "The Ministry and GRIDCo regret any inconvenience this planned outage may cause and assure the public of their continued commitment to supporting national development through reliable and improved power delivery."

Affected consumers are advised to make necessary arrangements to mitigate the impact of the 16-hour power interruption.