Many Nigerians in major cities experienced a blackout on Sunday as the national grid collapsed for the first time in 2024.
In a statement, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) explained that a partial disturbance occurred at 11:21 hours, impacting Ibom power and transmission substations in Eket, Ekim, Itu, and Uyo. TCN swiftly initiated restoration, and the grid is now fully restored, according to spokesperson Ndidi Mbah.
Prior to the incident, total generation on the grid was 3,901.25 MW at 08:00 hours, a little over three hours before the partial collapse. Notably, low power generation has persisted since January 2024, exacerbated by ongoing gas constraints.
The National Control Center (NCC) reported that, just before the grid collapse, the Sapele Steam & Egbin Substations lost a total of 29.32MW & 343.84MW at 11:20:14Hrs & 11:20:17Hrs, totaling 373.16MW.
This, combined with current low power generation due to gas constraints, 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 ample generation allows for better management in the event of sudden losses.
TCN commits to investigating the cause of the tripping of Sapele Steam & Egbin power generating units.
