Understanding TCN’s Response to Power Failures
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has explained that the ongoing blackout affecting northern Nigeria is due to a fault in the 330kV Ugwuaji-Apir transmission lines, which led to a significant power loss of 468 megawatts.
This incident, which began when Line 2 tripped around 4:53 a.m., was exacerbated when Line 1 also went offline shortly afterward. Efforts to restore power by reactivating the lines failed due to repeated tripping caused by an undetermined fault.
TCN deployed teams from its Apir and Enugu regions to inspect the 215 km transmission route, which includes challenging terrains such as rivers and forested areas.
Patrol activities faced further delays due to a “sit-at-home” directive in the Southeast, which restricted movement and refueling efforts for the patrol vehicles.
Despite partial restoration via a 132kV line, the 330kV lines remain down, causing outages across the northern region.
TCN has assured the public that teams are working continuously to locate and repair the fault as quickly as possible.