Story from Abah ADAH, Abuja
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has said that following the collapse of five high-tension towers caused by a fire from a vandalised pipeline along Isheri Olofin, off Igando – LASU expressway in Lagos State that wreaked havoc on 330kV Ikeja-West Akangba transmission line, burning off a large portion of the conductor, it is working assiduously to restore bulk power delivery to the affected substations through an alternative line for onward supply to the affected areas.
According to a statement signed by the General Manager, Public Affairs, TCN, Ndidi Mbah, the incident which is estimated to have occurred at about 00.29 in the early hours of Friday, burnt a wide portion of the 330kV transmission line which wheels 145MW of bulk power to the Akangba Substation. The transmission towers affected are the two closest to the site of the incident and three across the Lagos Canal.
“As a result of the incident, there is a major reduction of bulk power wheeled to TCN’s 330/132/33kV Akangba Transmission Substation in Lagos. However, due to the fact that the substation takes supply from two different 330kV transmission lines, with the second being the redundant line, TCN will rearrange bulk electricity transmitted on that line route to the second 330kV previously carrying 59MW.
“Presently, TCN is successfully back-feeding the substations affected by the towers collapse, while the engineers are patrolling the second 330kV transmission line which tripped as a result of the incident, to ensure it has no fault before it is energised.
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“Once it is energised, supply will be restored to all the substations affected by the incident from the second 330kV transmission line, as the load carried by the burnt 330kV line will now be transferred to the second line,” TCN explained.
TCN said the incident is a major setback to its concerted efforts in implementing its grid expansion and stability programme under its well-articulated Electricity Grid Maintenance, Expansion and Rehabilitation Programme because the re-erection of five towers and restringing of the 330kV transmission line is a major project that costs a lot of money and will take a while to complete.
It, therefore, appealed to members of the public to desist from activities such as oil bunkering, vandalisation of power installations and other destructive activities, as they all have very far-reaching negative effects on the nation at large.
“The issue of protecting our national assets is imperative and must be taken very seriously so that the stability of the nation’s network and the development of the nation is not compromised,” TCN said.
