By Mary Izuaka

 

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) on Thursday said it has restored the 330kV Kainji-Birnin Kebbi Single Circuit transmission line, weeks after it was taken out of service by a tower collapse.

In a statement signed by its management on Thursday, TCN said the line was restored at 5:24 p.m. on 1 October after engineers erected an Emergency Restoration System (ERS) tower at the location of the collapsed tower in Yauri.

The line was taken out of service following the collapse of Tower 367 on 7 September.

The company said the restoration works involved dismantling and decommissioning the collapsed tower, aligning and preparing the conductors and skywire, erecting the ERS tower, and carrying out other associated works required to restore the line safely.

READ ALSO: TCN declares force majeure on 330kV Kainji–Birnin Kebbi line after tower collapse

TCN  said its engineers worked round the clock to complete the works and return the line to service as quickly and safely as possible.

“TCN appreciates the patience and understanding of electricity consumers in the affected areas throughout the period of the outage and remains committed to maintaining a stable and reliable transmission network,” the statement said.

The Kainji-Birnin Kebbi line is a key transmission corridor that evacuates power from Kainji hydropower station and supplies electricity to Kebbi and surrounding areas in North-west Nigeria.

The line has suffered repeated disruptions in recent years due to vandalism and the collapse of towers.