The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) yesterday said that it had initiated a full-scale investigation on the cause of the fire that gutted its 150MVA, 330/132/33kV power transformer in Osogbo, capital of Osun state on Friday.
TCN said this in a statement signed by its General Manager, public affairs, Seun Olagunju, adding that the burnt power transformer, which is located within its Osogbo sub-regional/work centre office, has left parts of Akure, Ilesha, Ife, Ondo, Osogbo Complex, Ado-Ekiti and Iwo with the challenges of electricity rationing.
The company said however, that its engineers have been deployed to commence repairs on the power utility.
According to the statement released in Abuja, the fire, which started after an explosive sound was heard from the 150MVA power transformer, raged for most part of Friday morning and was successfully extinguished by the fire service, thus preventing it from spreading to the other transformers within the vicinity.
It explained further that the second 150MVA, 330/132kV power transformer in the sub-regional office however tripped off during the incident but was not affected by the fire.
It noted that the Protection, Control and Metering (PC&M) engineers of TCN had worked tirelessly to re-arrange the 132kV lines taking supply from the station, in such a way that the effect of load-shedding in all the affected areas would be minimised.
The transmission company also explained that with this interim arrangement, one of the feeders was diverted to Ganmo 330/132/33kV substation while the remaining three would now be fed from the second 150MVA power transformer that was not affected by the fire incident.
By this arrangement, TCN said all the affected towns would experience minimal load-shedding as soon as the station’s second 150MVA power is restored. It added that it has commenced full investigation into the immediate and remote causes of the inferno that gutted the power transformer which was commissioned in March, 2010.
“TCN regrets any inconvenience the power disruption has caused the government and good people of Ilesha, Ife, Osogbo Complex and Iwo in Osun State, Ado Ekiti in Ekiti State as well as electricity customers in Ondo, Ondo State,” the statement further said.
While thanking the Osogbo fire service for putting out the fire in good time, TCN also assured citizens that it would continue to work assiduously to ensure prompt response to all system issues even as it re-affirmed its commitment to continue to expand the nation’s electricity transmission capacity.
