- The national grid has lost 1,800 megawatts of electricity following the destruction of two transmission towers along the Shiroro–Kaduna transmission lines
- The incident highlights ongoing challenges of vandalism in Nigeria's energy sector, impacting crucial power transmission to the North West region
- The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) is deploying an emergency restoration system and collaborating with security operatives to secure the area and restore power
The national grid has suffered a significant setback, losing 1,800 megawatts (MW) of electricity due to the destruction of two transmission towers along the vital 330kV Shiroro–Kaduna transmission lines.
The incident, confirmed by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) in a statement released on October 18, underscores ongoing challenges posed by vandalism to Nigeria's energy infrastructure.
According to TCN’s public affairs general manager, Mrs. Ndidi Mbah, the affected lines are crucial for transmitting bulk power to the North West region, with each line capable of carrying 600MW. The vandalism has led to substantial damage, impacting both transmission lines.
Reports from TCN’s Shiroro Regional office indicated that the first line tripped, followed closely by the second line as attempts were made to re-establish the first.
Local vigilantes were urgently mobilised to patrol the area, resulting in the discovery of two damaged towers, T133 and T136, along with extensive damage to their cables.
In response to the situation, TCN has arranged to deploy a newly procured "emergency restoration system" to the site while plans are set in motion for the reconstruction of the destroyed towers.
The company has also collaborated with security operatives to conduct an aerial survey of the area, which has been identified as vulnerable to banditry, presenting significant risks to TCN installations and personnel.
In the interim, TCN has implemented measures to supply bulk power to the Kaduna and Kano regions via the 330kV Kaduna–Jos transmission line, mitigating some of the impact of the vandalism.
"This vandalism presents a significant challenge to bulk power transmission in that axis,"
"We are, however, committed to re-erecting the towers and restringing the transmission lines to restore full power transmission through both 330kV lines." Mbah stated.
The incident highlights the pressing issue of infrastructure security in Nigeria's energy sector, as the ongoing threat of vandalism continues to disrupt power supply and complicate recovery efforts.
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