TCN Restores National Grid After System Collapse

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has announced the restoration of the national electricity grid following a sudden collapse that plunged the nation into darkness on Thursday, 28th March 2024.

Naija News reports that the grid failure, which occurred on Thursday, resulted in widespread power outages across the country, raising concerns among millions of Nigerians over the state of the nation’s power infrastructure.

The system disturbance was reported to have started at approximately 4:28 pm on Thursday, leading to an immediate investigation by the TCN. By 10:00 pm the same day, full recovery of the grid was achieved, according to a statement released by Ndidi Mbah, TCN’s General Manager of Public Affairs.

The collapse was attributed to an imbalance in grid stability, primarily triggered by a significant reduction in generation capacity due to gas constraints.

This was compounded by the sudden tripping of Egbin generation turbine 3, which led to an additional loss of 167MW load, causing the grid to falter and collapse.

“The imbalance in grid stability was exacerbated by the sudden tripping of Egbin generation turbine 3, resulting in an additional loss of 167MW load and the subsequent collapse of the grid,” Mbah explained.

She further assured that “The grid has, however, been recovered and is stable, and all the generated power is currently transmitted to distribution load centers nationwide.”

This incident underscores the fragility of Nigeria’s power infrastructure, which has seen its fair share of challenges since the beginning of the year.

Since January 2024, Nigeria’s power supply has been described as abysmal, with frequent outages and instability affecting homes, businesses, and essential services across the nation.

The restoration of the grid is a relief to many, especially during the Easter Holidays when the demand for electricity significantly rises.