In what is
bound to worsen the power situation in Delta State, the Transmission Company of
Nigeria (TCN) announced yesterday that it lost 12 transmission towers and
one of its 330kv transmission lines stretching from Sapele to Ughelli in
the state.
The company
explained that a fire incident caused by a petrol tanker had razed towers
88 and 89.
Aside the
setback it creates in the transmission network of the company, TCN also said
the incident had caused it a huge loss to the tune of N1 billion which it would
require to reconstruct the 12 towers and rehabilitate tower No 81
It noted in
a statement from its General Manager, Public Affairs in Abuja, Seun Olagunju,
that the fire incident which started at about 9:42a.m. on Sunday had resulted
in the melting and snapping of the all line conductors between the two towers,
thus causing a loss of balance along the transmission line and swinging of
towers.
The
transmission company stated further that the incident resulted in the eventual
collapse of the towers but that tower 81 which did not collapse had been bent
and weakened by the incident.
Olagunju
also said the loaded petrol tanker which fell and caught fire at Ogborode
junction, near Warri in Delta State, destroyed the 330kv Sapele-Ughelli
transmission line and brought down TCN's towers No 82 to 93 along the route.
She said
that the collapse would result in a loss of evacuation capacity from that
route.
"With
the collapse of the 12 towers, TCN has temporarily lost power evacuation from
that line as all power generated by Delta and Sapele power stations would now
only be evacuated through the second 500MW capacity 330kV transmission line
from Ughelli to Benin," Olagunju said.
Notwithstanding
the transmission limitations, TCN assured electricity consumers that the second
330kV transmission line from Ughelli to Benin and the 132kV transmission lines
one and two from Benin to Ughelli would adequately evacuate power generated
from the power stations to Benin.
It also said
it had put in place plans to ensure that the transmission lines are free of
encumbrances to ensure continued efficient wheeling of power generated.
The
statement further noted that TCN's quick response engineering team and its
transmission contractors were already at the accident scene to fully assess the
level of damage to the system with a view to putting in place quick remedial
plans, pending the re-construction of the 12 transmission towers.
It also said
it had put in place security operatives to guard the collapsed tower from
vandals.
She pleaded
with vehicle drivers, especially ones that haul highly inflammable items such
as petrol to drive with care and also ensure that their vehicles are in good
order always, to avoid such massive losses to the company and the nation.
It thus pledged to do all it could to reconstruct the 330kV transmission line as quickly as possible to check further losses to the nation.
It thus pledged to do all it could to reconstruct the 330kV transmission line as quickly as possible to check further losses to the nation.
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