From Isaac Anumihe, Abuja
As a measure to end the frequent breakdowns of transmission networks in the country, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has commenced the rehabilitation and replacement of old circuit breakers in the nation.
In a statement, TCN, said the project is geared towards further improving bulk power transmission to distribution load centres nationwide.
“The rehabilitation and replacement work which were officially flagged off at the thirty-seven years old 330/132kV Ajaokuta Substation, Kogi State, marks TCN’s determination to ensure that all circuit breakers in its network are certified healthy and performs optimally” it noted, adding that the decision to start with the circuit breakers in Ajaokuta Substation was due to the strategic role the substation plays in transmitting bulk electricity to distribution load centres of Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) and Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC), covering areas such as Abuja, Lokoja, Ayangba, Okene, Okpila, and Benin among others.
According to the statement, TCN’s efforts at rehabilitating the circuit breakers despite routine maintenance undertaken by in-house engineers is to ensure that they continue to perform optimally and eliminate any incident of sudden breakdown due to age.
The exercise, the company said, will be extended to all substations in the country whose circuit breakers are 20 years old and above.
In line with TCN’s quest to further improve the capacity of its workforce, it assigned its engineers to work directly with the contractors to ensure hands-on training and practical skills transfer.
Furthermore, the company noted, proper retrofitting or replacement of the circuit breakers will ensure that they operate optimally for the next 15 to 20 years.
“Circuit breakers protect power transformers from any abnormal conditions or fault that may occur within or from outside the network.
They also provide power supply flexibility in the substations’ switchyard when maintenance work is ongoing, without interrupting bulk power supply to distribution load centres in the grid.
“TCN will not relent in its efforts to maintain, repair, and replace power transmission equipment, as well as install new ones to ensure a more stable and efficient transmission of bulk power to the distribution substations nationwide” TCN, said.