Blackout looms as fire guts TCN substation in Lagos

A 300MVA 330/132/33KV Substation belonging to the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) in the Alagbon area of Lagos was on Wednesday gutted by fire.

The TCN’s General Manager, Public Affairs, Mrs. Ndidi Mbah, confirmed the incident in a statement issued in Lagos.

She said the incident affected one of the 60MVA power transformers in the substation.

Mbah said: “The incident happened at about 16:32hrs on Wednesday. The operator on duty heard a heavy bang from the switchyard and immediately moved to the switchyard to investigate the sound and found fire under the cooling fans/fins of the transformer.

“Frantic efforts were made to put out the inferno with the fire extinguisher in the substation, but oil, which started dripping from the transformer, ignited the fire more.

“The engineer then switched off the power supply in the substation on the 300MVA 330/132/33KV transformer and also made calls to the Federal Fire Service in Onikan and the Lagos State Fire Service at Dolphin Estate.

“The fire was put out at 17:35hrs by the fire services.

“From initial assessment, the transformer can be salvaged/repaired, and presently, the situation is under control.”

She disclosed that normal supply to the station was restored at 7.25 p.m. while all transformers in the station had been restored.