TCN give Nigerians excuses after ninth national grid collapse in 2024

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) gave the excuse that the ninth national grid collapse which occurred on Thursday morning, at approximately 11:29 a.m. was a result of the sudden spike in frequency, rising from 50.33Hz to 51.44Hz.

TCN stated that the disruption triggered a temporary shutdown of one of TCN’s substations, which was done as a precautionary measure to prevent further damage.

In an official statement, TCN clarified that the frequency spike stemmed from technical issues at the affected substation. “The frequency spike was caused by issues encountered at one of our substations, which had to be shut down to prevent further complications,” the statement explained.

While the shutdown led to a nationwide blackout, TCN was able to partially restore power to the Abuja region within 28 minutes. Recovery efforts are ongoing, with further restoration expected as additional work is carried out on the grid.

Efforts to Strengthen Nigeria’s Power Grid

This collapse follows a series of frequent grid failures throughout the year, with TCN working to address systemic issues within the country’s electricity transmission infrastructure. The company revealed that significant repair work is already underway on critical transmission lines and substations in a bid to stabilize the grid.

Key projects include repairs on the Shiroro–Mando 330kV Transmission Line, major upgrades at the Jebba Transmission Substation, and the restoration of the second Ugwuaji–Apir 330kV Transmission Line.

In addition, TCN is taking steps to address weaknesses identified in a recent investigative report on previous grid collapses. “We have begun addressing the identified weaknesses in the transmission system,” TCN stated, noting that both technical upgrades and strategic interventions are being applied based on the committee’s recommendations.

Distribution Challenges and Limited Capacity

Despite these ongoing efforts, TCN acknowledged that instability may continue in the short term. The company appealed to Nigerians for patience, recognizing the disruption’s impact on daily life and economic activities.

“We acknowledge the impact of these disruptions and ask for the understanding and patience of the public during this challenging period,” the statement concluded.

Adding to the complexity of the situation, the National Orientation Agency (NOA) pointed to distribution challenges as a key factor contributing to the grid collapses. While Nigeria has the capacity to generate up to 13,610 MW of electricity and transmit up to 8,000 MW, the total active distribution capacity of the 11 Distribution Companies (DisCos) remains limited to about 4,000 MW.

This disparity, according to the NOA, has led to frequent system failures, as the infrastructure for distributing power remains inadequate for the demand.

With the addition of the 700MW Zungeru hydroelectric plant earlier this year, the national grid’s generation capacity has grown, but the issue of transmission and distribution remains a bottleneck. As the TCN continues repairs and upgrades, the government faces the ongoing challenge of improving the entire power system to prevent further collapses.

Nigeria’s power sector remains under intense scrutiny. Experts continue to urge the government and stakeholders to invest in both short-term fixes and long-term infrastructure solutions to ensure a more reliable power supply for the nation’s growing population and economy and avoid another national grid collapse.