After 2 months of blackout, TCN restores power to North-East
Story from Usman UMAR
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), on Tuesday, announced that the refurbishment and replacement of the four damaged towers along the Jos–Gombe 330kV transmission line supplying bulk power to substations in the North-East have been completed.
It said the replacement of conductors was completed on June 3, 2024, and that contractors had reconnected the jumper on tower 282, making it ready for the transmission of bulk electricity.
When the damaged towers were discovered on April 22, 2024, TCN mobilised contractors and supervising engineers from the transmission company to the site of the incident to begin repairs.
TCN expressed gratitude for the patience and support of the governors and people in the North-East during the tower reconstruction work.
It was reported last week that three additional towers were damaged in the North-East, a development that further aggravated the blackout in the region.
Initially, TCN pledged to finish the repairs and restore supply by May 27, 2024.
“However, the collapse of the fourth tower during the replacement process delayed the completion. The four towers have since been rebuilt, and the line is now prepared for bulk power transmission,” TCN’s spokesperson, Ndidi Mbah, said in a statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday.
The incident occurred along the Biu – Danbua 132kV transmission line, as 16 spans of conductors were stolen, a discovery made by TCN.
Two weeks ago TCN responded to the North-East Governors’ Forum by assuring that electricity would be reinstated to the region on May 27, 2024.
This was in response to concerns raised by the North-East Governors’ Forum regarding the neglect of the region, with the NEGF criticizing TCN for its inadequate handling of repairs of damaged transmission towers in the area.
However, on Monday last week, TCN revealed that while it was in the process of completing the reconstruction of four towers that were previously damaged in the Northeast, it found that another three had been damaged.
Read also: TCN refutes reports of national blackout over labour unions strike
It also mentioned that tower number T290, one of the four new towers erected by TCN contractors along the Jos – Gombe 330kV transmission line collapsed during the cable replacement process.
But in its most recent statement on Tuesday, the company confirmed that all four damaged towers had been reconstructed and had new conductors installed to begin supplying power to the region.
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