TCN Suffers N1.7bn Loss In 9 Months As Insurgents Vandalize Installations In North-east

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The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has stated that it recorded a loss of N1.7 billion in nine months as a result of the vandalization of electricity infrastructure in Maiduguri and the environs.

The Minister of Power, Abubakar Aliyu, who disclosed this at a town hall meeting in Maiduguri, Borno state capital on Thursday, also noted that the TCN recorded revenue loss from January to September.

The minister who was represented by the TCN chairman, Sule Abdulazeez, noted that the loss suffered was due to the vandalization of electricity lines at an average of 740 megawatts per day.

According to the minister, TCN lost in one month an average of N139 million on the wheeling charges and energy lost in the area.

He noted that insurgents brought down eight 330Kv towers in Damaturu and Maiduguri within the period.

The minister gave an estimate of an average cost of N110 million, for the reconstruction each tower which would in turn translate to about N880 million.

“Five towers were successfully erected and stringing completed on Sept. 17, awaiting energisation before the insurgents brought down another two sets of tower (1193 and 1194) at Auna village the next day September 18, ” he said.

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“Six towers in Oronta village in Abia state were brought down by vandals in Umuahia, while ten drums of aluminium conductors were carted away disrupting erection of a new tower.

“Also, the Escravos to Lagos pipeline was blasted by vandals disrupting gas supply to over six power generating stations in the western part of the country in 2016.”

The minister recommended executing embedded generation such as the proposed NNPC 50MW gas plant, solar farm, and wind farm in Maiduguri.

Maiduguri and environs have been cut off from public power supply since January as a result of the destruction of power infrastructure by terrorists.

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