The national power grid stabilised on Monday as electricity generation revolved around 3,000 megawatts and 3,707.91MW between 1am and 8pm on the same day following the collapse of the grid on Sunday.
On Monday, The PUNCH reported that power generation on the national grid crashed to 59.9MW around 12pm on Sunday as the country’s grid witnessed a nationwide collapse.
The report stated that electricity generation on the grid plunged from 2,658.75MW at 11am to 59.9MW by 12noon on Sunday, as power distributors lost supply from the grid.
This led to widespread blackout across the country, as power distribution companies blamed it on the collapse of the grid managed by the Transmission Company of Nigeria, an agency of the Federal Government.
But data obtained from TCN on the grid performance on Monday evening showed that the system had picked up, as power generation at 1am was 3,157.28MW, while this moved up to 3,637.03MW around 8.30pm same day.
This came as TCN announced that the two transformers taken out late last year at its Benin Transmission Substation and Ihovbor Work Centre for upgrade had been upgraded and energised.
It stated that at the 132kV Benin Transmission Substation, TCN completed and energised a new 100MVA 132/33kV power transformer on Saturday, while at the Ihovbor Work Centre, a 100MVA power transformer was energised on January 29, 2024.
“While the energised transformer at Ihovbor 132/33kV Work Centre will provide increased bulk power supply to Benin Electricity Distribution Company for onward supply to Egba, Oluku, Ihovbor and its environs, the newly energised 100MVA transformer at Benin Transmission Substation will increase the substation’s capacity from 240MVA to 300MVA,” the company stated in a statement issued in Abuja.
It noted that before the recent upgrade, the Benin Transmission Substation had two 60MVA, one 80MVA, and one 40MVA 132 /33kV Mobitra transformer which was upgraded to 100MVA power transformer.
It said Ihovbor had 2x60MVA of which one had been upgraded to 100MVA, adding that capacity at Ihovbor rose from 120MVA to 160MVA.
“With the recent upgrade, TCN has increased its capacity to wheel more bulk power to Benin Disco for onward evacuation to its customers.
“The projects are part of the collaborative efforts of the World Bank and TCN management to boost bulk power transmission nationwide,” the company stated.
It assured electricity consumers that the firm would continue to work hard to increase the bulk power transmitted to Discos for onward distribution to power users across the country.
Okechukwu, a journalist with Punch Newspapers, has 15 years experience covering Energy (Power and Petroleum), Finance, Agriculture, Environment, Humanitarian Services, Works and Housing, Trade and Investment, Capital Markets, Aviation and Transport, ICT, among others
