The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) Plc is presently carrying out a maintenance work at the Etsako Transmission Substation.
The General Manager (GM), Public Affairs, Ndidi Mbah, in a statement issued on Monday notified the general public that TCN will carry out the planned preventive maintenance on Tuesday, October 22, 2024.
“The maintenance which is scheduled to take place from 9am to 4 pm for seven hours is to enable TCN’s maintenance crew work on the 40MVA 132/33kV mobile transformer and associated switch gear,” Mbah said.
Consequently, he said that the Benin Electricity Distribution company will not be able to offtake electricity to its customers on Agor, Agbede and Fugar/bode 33kV feeders.
Mbah, however, stated that bulk power supply will be restored immediately after the maintenance is completed.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) recently announced plans to investigate the causes of the recurring collapse of the national electricity grid.
NERC in a statement it shared on its official X account on Saturday noted with concern the recent escalating incidence of grid disturbances often leading to marked outage in several states.
It lamented that this has reversed many of the gains recently achieved in reducing infrastructure deficit and improving grid stability.
According to NERC, initial reports on the grid disturbance that occurred on Saturday morning indicate that the outage was triggered by an explosion of a current transformer at the Jebba transmission station at 08:15am and associated cascade of power plants shutdown arising from the loss of load.
The commission said, however, efforts to restore supply have advanced with power significantly restored as at 1pm in 33 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
It said in line with the provisions of the Electricity Act 2023, the unbundling of the System Operator function (ISO) out of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) Plc is ongoing with the expectation that an independent SO would engender more discipline in grid management and optimised investment in infrastructure.
“In pursuit of finding a permanent resolution to the challenges of the national grid, the commission shall shortly conduct an investigative public hearing with a view to identifying immediate and remote causes of recurring incidence of grid disturbances and widespread outages,” NERC stated.
The public hearing as announced will take place at the Commission’s Hearing Room, Fourth Floor, Plot 1387, Cadastral Zone A00, Central Business District, Abuja from 10am on Thursday, October 24, 2024 with stakeholders, civil society organisations and the general public encouraged to participate.
NERC explained that in line with Section 48, subsection 1 of the Electricity Act 2023 (Amended), it is mandated to conduct public hearings on critical issues relating to the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI).
