Parts of Kano and Kaduna states dey experience blackout after vandals destroy two transmission towers belonging to the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN). The towers, T133 and T136, dey along the 330-kilovolt Shiroro-Kaduna lines 1 and 2, and dem suffer significant damage to their cables.
TCN spokesperson, Ndidi Mbah, reveal the extent of the damage in a statement on Friday, October 18. She say the transmission lines trip one after the other, prompting an investigation. “Efforts were still ongoing to reclose the first line when the second tripped, prompting the immediate mobilisation of local vigilantes to patrol the area,” Mbah explain.
In response to the vandalism, TCN dey plan to deploy their newly procured Emergency Restoration System to the site while reconstruction dey ongoing. Engineers don also put in place temporary measures to restore bulk power to the affected regions via the 330kV Kaduna-Jos transmission line.
The Shiroro-Kaduna transmission lines be critical because dem deliver up to 600 megawatts of power each to parts of the North West region. “The vandalism presents a significant challenge to bulk power transmission,” Mbah add, acknowledging the threat of banditry in the area which has posed ongoing risks to TCN infrastructure.
This incident happen just days after a national grid collapse, further complicating the power situation in the country. TCN conduct aerial survey in collaboration with security operatives due to the area’s vulnerability to banditry, which pose a significant threat to both TCN installations and personnel.
