‘Line trippings affected supply,’ TCN denies National grid collapse

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has refuted reports of a national grid collapse on Saturday, describing such claims as inaccurate and misleading.

In a statement made available on X, TCN’s General Manager of Public Affairs, Mrs Ndidi Mbah, clarified that the grid did not collapse but experienced isolated incidents of line trippings, which affected power supply to the Lagos area.

Mbah explained that at approximately 1:41 p.m., the Osogbo-Ihovbor line and the Benin-Omotosho line tripped, resulting in a drop in total power generation from 4,335.63 megawatts (MW) to 2,573.23 MW. 

She stressed that this was not indicative of a system collapse, as supply was maintained in other areas.

Mbah further noted that power had been restored to affected plants, including Egbin, Olorunsogo, Omotosho, Geregu, and Paras, with the exception of the Benin-Omotosho 330kV line, where restoration efforts were ongoing.

She urged the public and media outlets to exercise caution and verify facts before disseminating information that could mislead the public and damage the credibility of the power sector.

The statement reads, “Benin- Omotosho Line Tripping, Not System Collapse. The Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, hereby states that the nation’s grid did not experience any collapse today, contrary to the widely published misinformation in the media.

“Earlier today, at about 13:41Hrs, the Osogbo – Ihovbor line tripped, followed by the tripping of the Benin – Omotosho line. These consequently affected bulk supply to only the Lagos axis alone.

“It is important to clarify that at about 13:00 Hrs, today, just before the tripping, total generation on the grid was 4,335.63MW. After the trippings, however, generation was 2,573.23MW, showing clearly that the grid did not experience a collapse.

“The transmission line tripping affected Egbin, Olorunsogo, Omotosho, Geregu, and Paras,

but these have all been restored except for the Benin – Omotosho 330kV line whose restoration is ongoing.

“As TCN continues to work hard to put in place a robust transmission grid, in spite of prevailing challenges. It is imperative that we understand the negative impact of deliberately misinforming the public and the value of disseminating true and verifiable facts.”

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