The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has announced its intention to investigate the causes behind the tripping of the Sapele Steam and Egbin power-generating units. This decision comes following the restoration of the national grid, which experienced a partial disruption around 11:21 a.m. on Sunday.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday, Mrs. Ndidi Mbah, TCN’s General Manager of Public Affairs, emphasized that the company promptly initiated the restoration process for the affected portion of the grid.
Mbah stressed that before the incident, the total generation on the grid was 3,901.25 Mega Watts (MW) at 8 a.m., a little over three hours before the partial collapse.
She highlighted the persistence of low power generation since January, exacerbated daily due to ongoing gas constraints.
According to data from the National Control Centre (NCC), just before the partial disturbance, there was a loss of 29.32MW and 343.84MW at 11:20:14 hrs and 11:20:17 hrs respectively at Sapele Steam and Egbin Substations, totaling 373.16MW.
Mbah stated, “The Transmission Company of Nigeria hereby states that the grid experienced a partial disturbance at about 11:21hrs with Ibom power islanded feeding Eket, Ekim, Itu, and Uyo transmission substations during the period of partial disturbance. This, combined with the current low power generation due to gas constraints, caused the imbalance leading to the partial system disturbance.”
She reiterated the impact of gas constraints on grid flexibility and stability, emphasizing the importance of sufficient gas supply to power generating stations for grid stability.
Mbah emphasized that having adequate generation capacity enables improved grid management during unexpected generation losses like the one experienced.
