Nationwide grid collapse reports false, says TCN

Nationwide grid collapse reports false, says TCN

By Jeffrey Agbo

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has denied claims of a nationwide power grid collapse, clarifying that the power outage earlier on Saturday was due to the tripping of two transmission lines affecting parts of Lagos.

In a statement issued by TCN’s spokesperson, Ndidi Mbah, the incident occurred at approximately 1:41 p.m. and involved the tripping of the Osogbo-Ihovbor and Benin-Omotosho lines. These disruptions caused a temporary reduction in electricity supply in Lagos but did not constitute a nationwide grid failure.

Mbah further explained that the tripping incident also disrupted power generation at major plants including Egbin, Olorunsogo, Omotosho, Geregu and Paras.

As of now, power has been restored to all affected lines and plants, except the Benin-Omotosho 330kV line, which remains under restoration.

“The Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, hereby states that the nation’s grid did not experience any collapse today, contrary to the widely published misinformation in the media,” he said.

“Earlier today, at about 13:41Hrs, the Osogbo – Ihovbor line tripped, followed by the tripping of the Benin – Omotosho line. These consequently affected bulk supply to only Lagos axis alone.

“It is important to clarify that at about 13:00 Hrs, today, just before the tripping, total generation on the grid was 4,335.63MW. After the trippings, however, generation was 2,573.23MW, showing clearly that the grid did not experience a collapse.

“The transmission line tripping affected Egbin, Olorunsogo, Omotosho, Geregu, and Paras, but these have all been restored except for the Benin Omotosho 330kV line whose restoration is ongoing.

“As TCN continues to work hard to put in place a robust transmission grid, in spite of prevailing challenges. It is imperative that we understand the negative impact of deliberately misinforming the public and the value of disseminating true and verifiable facts.”