The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has encountered a setback in its efforts to restore power to the North-East region after one of the four new towers along the Jos-Gombe 330 kilo volt (kV) transmission line collapsed during the cable stringing process.
TCN’s general manager of public affairs, Ndidi Mbah, revealed this development in a statement issued. According to Mbah, the incident involving tower 290 (T290) occurred at approximately 7 am during the cable stringing process.
She explained that the collapse took place while the contractor was stringing the cable on the last tower, which was crucial for enabling the final joining of the power cable to energise the line on the same day.
Mbah lamented the setback, emphasising the extensive efforts made to meet the May 27 power restoration deadline despite security challenges in the area.
She highlighted the round-the-clock efforts of TCN contractors and engineering staff, who worked tirelessly accompanied by security operatives to expedite the project.
Expressing the technical complexities involved in constructing towers and stringing power cables at such heights, Mbah noted that TCN contractors and staff have successfully completed similar projects in other parts of the country.
The collapse of the fourth tower presents a significant setback, especially considering the rigorous efforts to meet the restoration timeline, Mbah stressed. She disclosed that TCN’s contractor is currently dismantling the collapsed tower members to facilitate reconstruction and final cable stringing.
In addition to the tower collapse, Mbah revealed that three towers along the Biu – Danboa 132kV transmission line were vandalized, with 16 spans of conductors stolen.
TCN has mobilised a contractor to commence reconstruction following the discovery made by its patrol team on May 24.
Further exacerbating the situation, Mbah stated that TCN’s patrol team discovered vandalism on tower T540 along the Makurdi – Jos 330kV double circuit transmission line, necessitating emergency repairs to prevent collapse.
Despite these challenges, Mbah reiterated TCN’s commitment to restoring normal bulk power supply to the North-East and other affected areas.
