Gas shortage responsible for grid collapse – TCN

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has attributed the grid collapse to gas constraints at Ibom power plant, feeding Eket, Ekim, Itu & Uyo transmission substations.

In a statement Ndidi Mbah, General Manager, Public Affairs, TCN, said during the period of partial disturbance, total generation on the grid was 3,901.25 Megawatt (MW) at 08:00Hours, a little over three hours before time of partial collapse.

While stating that it has restored the affected part of the grid, she said the low power generation persisted in the country since January 2024, to date, exacerbating daily generation to the lingering gas constraint.

“According to the National Control Center (NCC), the Internet of Things (IoT) revealed that just before the partial disturbance, which occurred at 11:21Hrs today, Sapele Steam & Egbin Substations lost a total of 29.32MW & 343.84MW at 11:20:14Hrs and 11:20:17Hrs respectively, totalling 373.16MW.”

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She said this, combined with the current low power generation caused the imbalance leading to the partial system disturbance.

“Gas constraints continue to impact grid flexibility and stability. Ensuring sufficient gas supply to power generating stations is crucial for grid stability as sufficient generation allows for better grid management in the event of sudden generation losses like this. TCN will investigate the cause of tripping of Sapele Steam & Egbin power generating units.”