A brief power outage caused by a snake has prompted the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) in the Ashanti Region to reinforce its efforts to protect the power grid from wildlife interference.
The incident occurred on June 11, 2025, when a snake made contact with equipment on the Akyawkrom 2 feeder at Kwaso in the Ejusu Municipality, bridging it to ground and disrupting electricity supply to several areas.
The ECG’s Sub-Transmission Line Maintenance Team responded swiftly, restoring full power to both Akyawkrom 1 and 2 interconnectors by 3:39 p.m. the same day.
Though service was quickly restored, ECG officials say such unfortunate developments are some of the challenges facing grid operations as a results of wildlife intrusion, particularly in areas near dense vegetation and rural-urban fringes.
“Wildlife, especially snakes and birds, continue to pose real threats to grid reliability,” said Ing. Peter K. Fletcher, General Manager of ECG Ashanti Sub-Transmission. “Today’s outage was brief, but it underscores the need for continued investment in wildlife mitigation infrastructure.”
He outlined a series of ongoing upgrades, including the installation of snake guards, sealing cable entry points, and clearing vegetation around substations.
READ: Minority demands clarity from Foreign Minister over Ghana’s stance on Western Sahara
In addition to physical infrastructure improvements, ECG is boosting its operational readiness through advanced training, as well as deploying motion and thermal sensors at high-risk substations as part of its broader resilience strategy.
“We don’t wait for faults to happen before we act,” said Collins Manu, Head of Public Relations for ECG Ashanti Sub-Transmission. “Our preventive efforts include vegetation management, reinforced fencing, and better drainage to make our facilities less hospitable to snakes and other animals.”
Mr. Manu also stressed the importance of community involvement in protecting the grid. “Our customers are our first line of defense. When they report unusual activity near our assets, we can respond quickly and avoid major disruptions.”
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/Isaac Justice Bediako
