Electricity Company Of Gh. (ECG) - Accra, Ghana

ECG was incorporated in 1963 and became a limited company when shares were first sold in the firm in February 1997. However the company is still owned by the government.

The enactment of the Electricity Corporation Decree, 1967 (NLCD 125) and the repeal of the Electricity Act, established the Electricity Corporation of Ghana (ECG). For the next two decades, ECG was to remain the entity solely responsible for electricity supply and the distribution networks nationwide. In 1987, the corporation’s sphere of operation was limited to the southern parts of Ghana which also had the greater concentration of customers.

The first government-sponsored public electricity supply in the country commenced in 1914 at Sekondi. It was operated by the Railway Administration which extended supply to  

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Takoradi in 1928. Meanwhile, the Public Works Department had commenced a limited Direct Current (DC) supply in Accra during 1922-this was immediately followed by a large Alternating Current (AC) project which commenced in 1924. A small plant consisting of three horizontal single cylinder oil-powered engines was installed in Koforidua in 1925. Also in 1926, work commenced on providing power to Kumasi.

During the period 1929-30, limited electricity supply was extended to Tamale until a new AC plant was installed in 1938. The next power station to be established was Cape Coast which came into being in 1932. Subsequent to its takeover by the Electricity Department from the Public Works and Railways on 1st April, 1947, a power station at Swedru was commissioned in 1948. This was followed by the installation of generating plants at Oda, Dunkwa and Bolgatanga in 1948.

The Tema power station was commissioned in 1956 with a 3 x 650 kW generating set. The Ho power station followed in 1957. From 1961-64, the Tema Station was extended to a maximum capacity of 35,298 kW, thus, making it the biggest single diesel-powered generating station in Africa.