Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), has given explanation on the blackout across the country last weekend, attributing it to the emergency maintenance at the National Gas Company’s pipeline supplying gas to Egbin, Omotosho, Olorunsogo and Paras power stations.
In a statement, the TCN, said that a leakage was discovered on the Escravos-Lagos Pipeline System gas pipeline, necessitating the total shutdown of the four power generating plants on April 25, 2019.
According to the statement, NGC worked hard to repair the gas pipeline so that normal gas supply can be restored to the affected power plants. Presently, repairs have been completed and the pipeline is currently being pressurised prior to resumption of gas supply to the affected power stations. TCN further noted that it has diverted about 312MW load from the Benin-Egbin 330kV transmission line which tripped at 23.14 hours on Tuesday, April 23, 2019, to Omotosho –Ikeja West and Ayede-Ikeja 330kV transmission lines, due to on-going repair works on the Benin-Egbin 330kV transmission line. “The tripping was caused by a line cut between Ofofu and Okada towns, however TCN engineers are making concerted efforts to complete repair work on the transmission line, despite the very difficult terrain at that location” the statement, said.
TCN also said that due to the diversion of the load from this line to the two transmission lines equally feeding Lagos axis, load shedding in Lagos axis was minimised to about 280MW at the first instance.
However, it said, with the attendant gas supply issues and sudden gas leakage problem, load shedding increased considerably.
TCN, the statement, said, regrets inconveniences and wishes to assure Nigerians that power supply would return to normal as soon as normal gas supply is restored to the affected power stations and transmission repair work is completed. ENDS