The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has successfully repaired and energised a 150MVA power transformer, which got burnt five-years ago in the Kumbotso transmission substation in Kano State.
Mrs Ndidi Mbah, TCN’s General Manager, Public Affairs in a statement in Abuja on Thursday, said the transformer was repaired and energised by TCN in-house engineers on February 2.
“This is the first time TCN in-house engineers successfully undertake such repair work on a badly burnt 150MVA capacity power transformer and restoring it to service.
“It is also an indication of the growing capacity of TCN engineers under the present administration.”
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Mbah said the Kumbotso transmission substation initially had four 150MVA power transformers.
“Five years ago, one of the transformers got burnt and was considered irreparable and on January 1, 2018, a second 150MVA tripped off due to a fault.”
She said investigations revealed that its winding coil had spoiled and was moved to a transformer repair factory in Lagos state.
“To ensure that Kano state Disco load centers taking supply from the substation still receive supply for its customers, TCN first re-arranged load from the tripped transformer into the two 150MVA transformers, and then commenced work on the burnt 150MVA power transformer on of January 2 using its in-house engineers.
“The engineers opened the burnt transformer and removed the yellow, blue and red phases of the burnt divert switches, replaced them and carried out other works inside the transformer before it was re-energised,” Mbah explained.
She said the successful repair of the power transformer had increased the capacity of the substation and restored the number of functional 150MVA power transformers to three.
According to her, TCN has equally mobilised a new 150MVA power transformer from Lagos port which is currently in Lokoja en route to Kumbotso substation.
“TCN can now supply normal bulk power to Dakata transmission substation and Kano distribution load centers taking supply from the substation to Katsina, Kankia, and environs.”
Mbah said the installation of the new transformer would also provide the necessary redundancy in the substation.
She stressed that the TCN remained committed at expanding its network and maintaining existing infrastructures in the transmission grid. (NAN)
