By Frank Momoh
The Transmission Company of Nigeria, (TCN) has said that one of its 132kV underground transmission lines was damaged by an excavation machine working for IBB Golf Club, Abuja.
The incident has made TCN to transmit bulk electricity meant for Central Area, Maitama, Utako, Jabi and several parts of the city without redundancy and with some restriction.
According to the statement, signed by the General Manager Public Affairs, Mrs. Ndidi Mbah, with a total available capacity of 160MW and total load demand of 96MW (2,304MWHr) on both lines, the damaged transmission line one (1) is very strategic as line two alone, cannot carry the entire load From Katampe to Central Area Transmission Substation.
As a result, the second transmission line is currently transmitting only 75MW (1,800MHr daily) at full capacity with a load drop of 21MW (540MWHrs daily) on that axis, Mbah asserted.
According to TCN, this development, it now operates without redundancy in the areas listed above. This means that if anything happens to the second line, TCN would be unable to supply the Central Area Transmission Substation.
She said: “This will throw the Central Area and areas being fed through that substation into total darkness as there would be no other transmission line to sustain electricity supply on this route. TCN has made this fact abundantly clear to IBB Golf Management who are slow in fixing the damaged underground line since June 18, 2019.
TCN is using the medium to alert the public that since the damage of its 132kV transmission line one (1), the second transmission line has been continuously transmitting 75MW. The IBB Gulf Club Management must quickly undertake the repairs of the damaged underground 132kV transmission line, taking into account the urgency it requires.
However, the General Manager, said, TCN is working with AEDC to manage the situation to reduce the impact of the damage to the network on various customers of AEDC, but there is need for customers of AEDC to know about this problem as TCN seeks their understanding.