The national grid has been restored hours after it collapsed and plunged some parts of the country into darkness, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) said.
“The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) announces the full restoration of the national grid following a fire incident at the Afam Power Generating Station, which caused a partial disturbance of the nation’s grid,” TCN’s GM of Public Affairs Ndidi Mbah said in a Monday statement.
She said the fire incident started early Monday morning at the Afam V 330kV bus bar coupler, leading to the tripping of units at Afam III and Afam VI.
“This resulted in a sudden generation loss of 25MW and 305MW respectively, destabilizing the grid and causing a partial collapse,” the TCN official said.
According to her, during the incident, the Ibom Power Plant was isolated from the grid and was supplying parts of the Port Harcourt region.
“This further minimized the effect of the system disturbance. TCN confirms that the affected section of the grid has been fully restored and stabilized,” she stated.
FIRE-INDUCED PARTIAL GRID DISTURBANCE NOW RESTORED
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) announces the full restoration of the national grid following a fire incident at the Afam Power Generating Station, which caused a partial disturbance of the nation’s grid. pic.twitter.com/zqGGdQ6iRs
— TCNNIGERIA (@TCN_NIGERIA) April 15, 2024
‘Very Complex Issues’
Some electricity distribution companies (DisCos) had earlier confirmed the collapse of the national grid but assured customers of an immediate response.
The collapse is the second time in weeks, a development that has continued to generate conversation among Nigerians.
One of those who have weighed in on the frequent national grid collapse is an energy expert Idowu Oyebanjo who attributed the incessant incident to vandalism among other factors.
“Power grid collapse occurs for too many reasons and these are very complex issues including vandalism that you have talked about,” he said in an edition of Channels Television’s Politics Today earlier in the month.
“It is very important to state because if a power tower is vandalised, the electric overhead lines come down and then power is disrupted. So, that’s one major cause of grid collapse – vandalism. There is also the problem of generation and networks.”
He is suggesting more decentralisation of the power sector as a solution.
Channels TV
