…Restores power to Kaduna, Kebbi after outage
Oscarline Onwuemenyi
03 August 2017, Sweetcrude, Abuja – The Transmission Company of Nigeria has announced that it has continued its efforts to restore power to areas in the Northeast, in the wake of the rehabilitation process ongoing in these regions after the curb of the insurgency.
According to TCN’s General Manager, Public Affairs, Mrs. Seun Olagunju, “We have energized a 40 (Mega Volt Amp) MVA 132/33kV mobile power transformer at the Damboa Transmission Substation in Bornu State and a 30MVA, 132/33kV power transformer in Gombe Transmission Substation.”
She said that the Damboa Substation, previously a 60MVA 132/33kV capacity transmission station with fully equipped control room and staff quarters was completely destroyed by Boko Haram insurgents on the 4th of July, 2014. “As a result of the incident, bulk power transmission to Damboa and environs reduced by 60MVA.
“Notwithstanding the volatile nature of the area, however, TCN initiated the process for procurement and installation of a 40MVA 132/33kV mobile power transformer, in an attempt to bridge the shortfall in bulk electricity transmission to distribution load centres that supply the electricity to Damboa and environs.”
Similarly, Olagunju noted that the installation of a 30MVA, 132/33kV power transformer in Gombe was in response to the continued increase in load demand from the distribution company supplying electricity to the state capital and its environs, adding that, “This necessitated an increase in transformer capacity to relieve existing transformers in the substation.
“The newly installed 30MVA 132/33kV power transformer which was moved to Gombe 132kV Substation from Yola Transmission Station increased the station’s capacity from 105MVA to 135MVA. The increase in capacity positively impacted power supply to distribution load centres in Gombe and its environs.”
TCN had also successfully installed two 66MVA 132/33kV power transformers in its Katampe and Alagbon Transmission Stations in Abuja and Lagos respectively, increasing bulk load wheeling capacity of Katampe transmission sub-station at a 132kV voltage level, from 120MVA to 126MVA and Alagbon Substation capacity to 312MVA on 132kV voltage level.
“The transformer capacity in Damboa Transmission Substation was also increased by 40MVA with the installation of a 40MVA, 132/33kV mobile power transformer which was energized May 7th, 2017. “The entire Transformers installation processes including civil works were carried out wholly by TCN in-house engineers.
Furthermore, the TCN has confirmed that it has successfully restored electricity supply to Birinin Gwari in Kaduna and Yauri in Kebbi State, after the collapse of a transmission tower that conveys power to the states.
The transmission company said that its 132kV transmission tower no 183, between Tegina and Kontagora in Niger State, had recently collapsed from a severe flood caused by heavy rainfall which eroded the base of the transmission tower, despite remedial works carried out to fortify its foundation.
The company’s engineering crew were immediately mobilised to the site to construct transmission line by-pass towers that would ensure supply of electricity to the areas affected by the incident. The transmission line by-pass towers were successfully erected and power supply restored to Birnin Gwari and Yauri.
It was further stated in TCN’s statement that its engineering crew were still working to restore its primary circuit breaker damaged by angry youths in Tegina substation, to enable it to supply from the substation, adding that power supply to Kontagora substation would also be restored as soon as it completes repairs on the station’s circuit breaker.
With the transmission line by-pass tower, TCN said that it has resumed normal transmission of electricity to Yauri and the Birnin Gwari Emirates under Kaduna Disco.
Similarly, it explained that it has commissioned a new 40MVA transformer at its 132/33kV transmission sub-station at Mayo-Belwa, to improve power supply.
The newly constructed station it saw was energised to improve transmission capacity in Yola sub-region by about 32 megawatts (MW).
According to the General Manager, Public Affairs, Olagunju, “The Mayo-Belwa 132/33kV substation connects Ngurore 33kV Feeder and Mayo-Belwa 33kV feeder thus extending power supply to Jada, Toungo, Ganye and several other towns and villages in Taraba State. Prior to the construction of the new station, Mayo-Belwa received power supply from Yola transmission station, through the 33kV Mayo-Belwa/ Numan feeder,”