The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has said that the Maryland/Ikorodu substation equipment was manufactured in 1983.
This is according to a recent statement signed by the General Manager for Public Affairs, Ndidi Mbah.
The TCN said that the Maryland/Ikorodu substation fire which occurred over the weekend, has been put out and rehabilitation of the substation has started.
The company said that due to ageing and insulation failure, the explosion happened, and the fire started.
A part of the statement read:
- “The sudden failure of Maryland-Ikorodu 132kV Line 2 Yellow phase capacitor voltage transformer can be attributed to ageing and insulation failure. The equipment was manufactured in 1983.”
However, reconductoring and rehabilitation efforts are being made to prevent any such incidents from recurring.
On December 16, 2023, at 7:57 pm, there was a fire because a voltage transformer exploded on the Maryland-Ikorodu power line. This caused an emergency at the substation, and at 7:58 pm, they had to shut down part of the power supply coming from Maryland-Ilupeju to prevent further issues.
They tried to put out the fire, but it was tough because there were oil-immersed devices nearby. The Lagos State Fire Service arrived at 8:45 pm and completely stopped the fire by 8:55 pm. By 9:02 pm that same day, the substation was up and running again.
Weak transmission infrastructure – an ongoing problem
In an interview with Arise News back in November 2023, Adebayo Adelabu, the Minister for Power, highlighted an important aspect of Nigeria’s power sector. He mentioned that while the generation and distribution parts of the power industry have been handed over to private entities, the government still largely controls the transmission segment.
However, there is a significant issue with the infrastructure: substations, power lines, and transformers nationwide are in poor condition, weakened, and falling apart.
Note also that during a recent Ministerial retreat, the Minister emphasized plans to restructure the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) into a Transmission Service Provider (TSP) and Independent System Operator (ISO).
This restructuring aims to propel the growth of electricity across Nigeria.
Ongoing plans to fix that problem
Two weeks ago, Nairametrics reported that the TCN disclosed information about 53 ongoing power projects, collectively valued at N122 billion.
These projects have a target completion date set for May 2024. Collaborating with the power distribution companies and receiving support from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the TCN is actively working to finalize these projects, which are spread across the country.
Specifically, these projects involve the delivery of eight 150MVA power transformers, 19 1000MVA transformers, as well as 60MVA transformers.
They also include the process of reconductoring existing transmission lines (involving conductors and accessories), upgrading the existing 132/33KV substations, and constructing 33KV line bays.
These improvements are aimed at enhancing the overall reliability and capacity of Nigeria’s power infrastructure.
Attempting to split the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) into a Transmission Service Provider (TSP) and an Independent System Operator (ISO) might prove futile.
The core issue isn’t restructuring or “unbundling,” but rather the need to improve corporate governance, enhance management practices, and establish a framework that promotes independence and accountability. These changes are vital to attract private investment, crucial for the urgent capital expenditure and modernization of Nigeria’s aging power infrastructure that this substation failure and the countless others before demonstrate.
In a similar vein to the NNPC’s reform, the Federal Government should reduce its involvement in daily operations and transform the TCN into a commercially driven, profit-oriented national electricity company. This transformation should place the company in the hands of top-tier industry professionals and operators, steering it away from its current status as a government agency.
Consider the many substations across Nigeria, still operating with equipment from the 1980s and barely maintained since.
The enormity of this present challenge across Nigeria cannot be overstated.