By Emmanuel Addeh
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has completed the ‘reconductoring’ of its new 130 kilometres 132kV double circuit Sokoto – Birnin Kebbi Transmission Line, which has also been energised.
The new high capacity 132kV transmission line which affects and transverses 405 towers along the Birnin Kebbi – Sokoto line route, the company said, now transmits about 170MW, which is more than double the 70MW capacity previously transmitted by the decommissioned old 132kV transmission line.
The TCN noted that the new 132kV transmission line has solved the low voltage and attendant poor power situation that was prevalent in the Sokoto axis, saying it is now enabled to substantially transmit increased bulk power electricity to Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company’s (KEDC) distribution load centres in Sokoto State and environs.
A statement from the company’s General Manager, Public Affairs, Mrs. Tina Mbah, noted that this also means that Kaduna Disco would equally be able to deliver more stable and quality power to its customers in that axis.
Prior to the reconductoring of the line, the Sokoto – Birnin Kebbi 132kV transmission line, was overloaded due to increased demand, arising from massive increase in human population and attendant socio-economic activities in the area, the TCN added.
It stated that the new line has solved the problem of overloading/ suppressed load and has ample capacity for anticipated load increase.
The project which commenced last November, was carried out in phases, in order to ameliorate the effect of scheduled outages on electricity consumers during the period.
“Some areas did not experience outage through the period as they were back-fed through another line.
“We are sincerely grateful to the government and good people of Sokoto State and Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company, for their patience and cooperation during the period of the transmission line reconductoring,” the TCN noted.
