The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has announced the successful restoration of the collapsed national grid, bringing an end to the nationwide blackout experienced on Sunday.
The grid collapse, the first of its kind in 2024, led to a widespread power outage across the country, affecting millions of consumers.
In a statement issued by TCN’s Public Affairs General Manager, Ndidi Mbah, it was revealed that the blackout resulted from a partial disturbance experienced by the grid around 11:21 hours on Sunday.
The incident primarily affected the Ibom power islanded, which feeds Eket, Ekim, Itu, and Uyo transmission substations.
Ndidi Mbah stated, “TCN initiated immediate restoration of the affected part of the grid, and presently, the grid is fully restored.”
“Prior to the incident, the total generation on the grid was 3,901.25 MW at 08:00 hours, a little over three hours before the time of partial collapse,” she added.
The company acknowledged the persistent challenge of low power generation since January 2024, exacerbated by ongoing gas constraints.
According to the National Control Center (NCC), just before the partial disturbance occurred, Sapele Steam and Egbin Substations lost a total of 29.32MW and 343.84MW, respectively, resulting in a combined loss of 373.16MW.
“This, combined with the 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,” the statement emphasized.