TCN Denies Responsibility Of Power Outages In Kaduna, Install Transformers In Uyo, Kano

*Says It’s Upgrading Mando-Kakuri Transmission lines

By CLEMENT NWOJI, Abuja

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has faulted reports which had suggested that its maintenance work was responsible for the power outages in Kaduna, explaining instead that it was undertaking upgrading of its Mando – Kakuri Transmission Lines from 80MW to 240MW, to significantly improve power supply to Kaduna.

TCN explanation on Kaduna upgrades coincides with its completion of the installation and commissioning into service, two brand new 60MVA 132/33kV power transformers in its transmission substations in Uyo and Kano and the energizing of its Nsukka 30MVA transmission substation completed in 2016 that could not be energized then, due to way leave issues.

The TCN General Manager (Public Affairs) Mrs. Ndidi Mbah, gave the explanations in statements at the weekend.

TCN said that the brand new 60MVA 132/33kV power transformer in its Uyo transmission substation, was installed to replace the burnt 60MVA LEEC power transformer which caught fire in the substation last month.

She said the 60MVA power transformer which was energized on 22nd March, 2018, increased the number of 60MVA power transformers in the substation to three and has equally increased the Uyo Substation capacity from 120MVA to 180MVA.

The additional transformer capacity meant improved power supply to distribution customers of Port-Harcourt DisCo in Uyo Oron, Mbo, Ikot-Ekpene Abak, Ethan, Airport and environs.

In the same vein, the capacity of Dan Agundi Substation, Kano State, has increased from 60MVA to 120MVA, with the successful installation of a brand new 60MVA power transformer in the substation.

Mrs Mbah recalled that the transformer installation which was initially awarded to a contractor was taken over by TCN engineers, with a mandate to complete installation within two weeks.

The new Dan Agundi transformer she said, has been delivered and was energised on Saturday, 24th March, after all the pre-commissioning tests have been completed.

Once energized, electricity transmission to Kano Electricity Distribution Company for delivery to its customers in Kano would improve substantially.

The statement further revealed that the Nsukka 30MVA Transmission Station, Enugu State, was energized on the 20th of March, 2018.

The substation which had been completed since 2016, was not operational because of Right of Way issues as well as court injunctions which stalled the stringing of the 132kV transmission line to the substation.

However, with the intervention of the Enugu State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, the transmission line project was completed and energized.

On upgrading of its Mando – Kakuri Transmission Lines from 80MW to 240MW in Kaduna, Mrs Mbah said that transmission lines upgrade is being carried out only on Saturdays and Sundays from 8am- 5pm stressing that TCN was not responsible for any outage beyond this period in Kaduna South only.

According to the General Manager (Public Affairs), TCN’s decision to undertake the upgrade of the transmission lines on Saturdays and Sundays from 8am to 5pm, is to ensure that inconvenience to electricity customers is minimized.

Moreover the upgrade should cause power supply interruption to only electricity customers in Kaduna South, during the weekends for 9hours only.

TCN explained that the transmission lines upgrade became necessary because TCN is doubling the transformer capacity of its Kaduna Town Transmission Station from 120MVA to 240MVA, in line with its grid expansion plan.