Engineering and technical teams from the Technical Services Department (TSD), Southern Network Department (SND), and Northern Network Department (NND), have completed the replacement of a transmission tower on the 161 kV Bolgatanga–

Zebilla (BG3ZB) Transmission Line, near the Zebilla Substation. The successful execution of this critical project was made possible through the dedication, professionalism, and coordinated efforts of this formidable team.

Tower No. 189 collapsed on 1st November, 2021, impacting power supply to the northern sector and beyond Ghana’s border. To mitigate the impact of the incident, temporary towers were erected to transmit power to the northern sector over the last five (5) years.

Project Preparations

The replacement of the tower required detailed project preparations, covering various scopes. Following detailed engineering assessment and planning, the required tower members and connection plates were fabricated.

The replacement tower was then assembled on the ground, with all bolts tightened to the required torque to ensure structural integrity. One side of the tower was erected and fully secured, while the remaining section was assembled on the ground pending an approved transmission line outage due to the presence of the energised line.

Planned Activities

An outage was granted on the Bolgatanga–Zebilla (BG3ZB) 161 kV Transmission Line on 28 June 2026 to facilitate the final phase of the project. During the outage, the project team successfully:

  • Erected the remaining section of the new Tower No. 189 using a crane.
  • Completed the full erection and final tightening of the replacement tower.
  • Transferred all conductors and associated transmission line hardware onto the new tower.
  • Decommissioned and removed all temporary support structures used during the emergency restoration works.

Restoration of the Bolgatanga–Zebilla Transmission Line

Following the successful completion of all planned activities, the transmission line was thoroughly inspected and confirmed safe for energisation. The Bolgatanga–Zebilla (BG3ZB) 161 kV Transmission Line was subsequently restored to service, returning the line to normal operation.

The successful completion of the project reinforces GRIDCo’s commitment to maintaining a safe, reliable, and resilient transmission network for the benefit of its customers and stakeholders.