Although the company said it was making efforts to effect repairs of vandalised power towers, insecurity in affected areas has slowed its efforts.
The ongoing blackout, which has lasted over four days, initially stemmed from vandalism of the Shiroro-Mando transmission line, which provided bulk electricity to the northern states.
To mitigate the impact, the TCN diverted electricity through the Ugwuaji-Apir 330-kilovolt (kV) double-circuit transmission line, but a tripping incident on this alternative line further worsened the power supply situation.
Engr. Nafisatu Asabe Ali, Executive Director of the Independent System Operator at TCN, explained during a public hearing by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) that the repair of the Ugwuaji-Apir line would only provide limited solution.
According to her, though the line could carry up to 750 megawatts (MW) of power, only 350 MW could be safely transmitted to Kano, Kaduna, and parts of Niger Republic due to voltage stability issues in Kano.
The larger Shiroro-Mando transmission line, which supplies more power, remains out of service due to insecurity in the area where it was damaged.
Engr. Nafisatu said the TCN had received security advice from the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) indicating that the area where three towers were destroyed are currently inaccessible due to ongoing security issues, as such despite having the materials needed for the repairs, it could not proceed until the security situation improves.
She said the region is currently sharing 250MW of electricity with Niger Republic, and when the Ugwuaji-Apir line is restored, the maximum power transmission will reach only 350MW.
