Fire breaks out at Abuja power transmission station

The fire was put out by the combined effort of the federal, FCT and Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation fire service.

A section of Abuja power station on fire (Punch)

Fire broke out at a power transmission substation in Apo, Abuja on Sunday, April 28, 2019.

The fire according to Punch started at about 1.30 pm from a transformer in the substation and persisted for some hours.

Confirming the incident, the Transmission Company of Nigeria said that one of the 45MVA 132/33kV power transformers in the substation caused the fire outbreak.

The burnt transformer was part of those that feed the 33kV feeders of the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company, Punch reports.

However, the fire was put out by the combined effort of the federal, FCT and Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation fire service.

Speaking after the incident, the General Manager, Public Affairs, TCN, Ndidi Mbah, said “ it’s still early for TCN to determine if the burnt transformer can be salvaged.”

Ndidi said the fire resulted from a direct fault from one of Abuja Disco’s 33kV feeders which had a history of incessant trippings, because it lacked protection.

It would be recalled that the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) recently said power generation has reduced due an emergency maintenance by Nigerian Gas Company (NGC) on pipeline supplying gas to Egbin, Omotosho, Olorunsogo and Paras power stations.

Mbah while speaking on the reduced power generation said Mbah said the maintenance led to the total shutdown of the four power generating plants on April 25.

She noted that the maintenance on the pipeline was caused by a leakage discovered on the Escravos-Lagos gas pipeline system