By Chesa Chesa
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) and other stakeholders have coordinated plans for a proposed power outage and load diversion to facilitate the elongation of Towers 27 and 28 on the Kumbotso–Dan Agundi 132kV Transmission Line in Kano State.
The coordination meeting, held on Monday at the TCN Kano Regional Conference Room, brought together representatives of TCN, NISO, Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO), project contractors and the Kano State Ministry of Works.
The meeting was chaired by the General Manager, Transmission, Kano Region, Engr. M. K. Bello, who expressed confidence in the contractors’ capabilities but stressed the need for a thorough assessment of the proposed technical connections and switching arrangements before implementation.
Bello said the necessary precautions were essential to guarantee operational safety and maintain the reliability of the transmission network throughout the exercise.
In his remarks, NISO Regional Operations Coordinator, Engr. Kunle Egbedinni, emphasised strict compliance with the Grid Code, particularly the requirement for planned outage applications to be submitted at least 14 days before the proposed date for approval.
The Head of Operations and Maintenance at KEDCO, Engr. Sabiu Haruna, proposed diverting the load supplied by the Dan Agundi 132kV Substation to alternative substations during a proposed two-day outage.
The substations identified for consideration included Dakata 132kV, Tamburawa 132kV, Rimin Zakara 330kV, Kumbotso 330kV and Wudil 132kV.
Participants assessed the capacity of the network and the feasibility of alternative supply arrangements to minimise disruptions during the planned works.
During the deliberations, they observed that the Hadejia 132kV Substation could not accommodate the entire 60-megawatt load earmarked for diversion.
Consequently, the meeting examined alternative supply options involving the Tamburawa, Rimin Zakara and Dakata substations to determine suitable arrangements for managing the load during the outage.
The stakeholders also underscored the importance of protecting personnel and equipment and ensuring that all switching operations and technical connections were carried out safely.
