TCN Clarifies Power Disruption Cause, Dispels Rumors

Power Disruption: TCN Sets the Record Straight

TCN debunks grid collapse rumors, reveals real cause...

TCN clarifies national grid incident, explains temporary power outage caused by electrical arc, not system collapse. Bulk power restored to affected areas by evening, amidst frequent grid disruptions.

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has released a statement to set the record straight regarding reports of a national grid collapse on Monday, August 5. Contrary to earlier claims, TCN's General Manager of Public Affairs, Ndidi Mbah, explained that the incident was actually an electrical arc on the Benin-Egbin 330kV isolator.

This electrical arc triggered a line trip, resulting in a temporary power outage in several regions, including parts of Lagos, the South West, North Central, and Abuja, on Monday afternoon. The TCN's clarification aims to provide accurate information and dispel any misinformation regarding the incident.

While some regions faced power disruptions, others, including the South East, North East, and parts of North Central and South West, enjoyed uninterrupted electricity supply. Fortunately, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) reported that bulk power was fully restored to the affected areas by evening, bringing relief to those impacted.

“The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) hereby notes that at about 6:10 p.m. yesterday, 5th August 2024, power supply was restored to areas affected by the arcing on the Benin-Egbin 330kV isolator, which caused line tripping and a consequent loss of supply to some areas. However, contrary to media reports, the incident did not cause a system collapse.

“The line tripping began earlier at about 2:47 p.m. yesterday, with a heavy system surge leading to the arcing of the Benin- Egbin 330kV line isolator fingers at the Egbin Transmission Substation switchyard. This caused tripping at the Egbin Generating Station, leading to the loss of power supply to all of the Egbin Transmission Substation's outgoing lines.

“This led to an exponential increase in load on the Osogbo-lhovbor 330kV line 1, with serious arcing of isolator terminals on the Osogbo-lhovbor 330kV line 1. To prevent the sequence of events from affecting the national grid, the Osogbo- Ihovbor 330kV line was opened to temporarily cut off the flow of electricity on that line.

Despite the temporary power outage, some regions, including the South East, North East, and parts of North Central and South West, continued to receive uninterrupted power supply. In a subsequent update, TCN announced that bulk power had been successfully restored to the affected areas by evening, bringing relief to those impacted by the earlier disruption.

A report by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) reveals that the national grid has suffered a staggering 227 collapses between 2010 and April 2024, underscoring the persistent and recurring nature of power outages in the country.