TCN Declares Force Majeure on Lagos Substations After Severe Flooding
In mid‑October 2024 the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) announced a force‑majeure situation for two key substations in Lagos State after relentless rains flooded the facilities. The declaration covers the 132/33 kV Oworonshoki substation and the 330/132 kV Lekki substation, both of which are vital nodes in the state’s power transmission network.
What Triggered the Declaration?
According to TCN’s General Manager of Public Affairs, Ndidi Mbah, persistent rainfall over a two‑week period inundated the substation grounds, compromising critical electrical equipment. Water entered the transformer bays and submerged protection and control cables, making normal operation impossible.
- The Oworonshoki substation’s two power transformers – TR1 (60 MVA) and TR3 (30 MVA) – tripped while idle and could not be re‑energised despite repeated engineering attempts.
- All associated protection and control cables for TR1 and TR3 were completely submerged, a condition TCN described as “making recovery impossible until the floodwaters are successfully evacuated.”
- At the Lekki 330/132 kV substation, continuous pumping by emergency responders has kept water levels low enough to maintain limited operation, though TCN warned that further rain could jeopardise this stability.
Restoration Work Underway
TCN engineers are operating around the clock to drain water from the Oworonshoki site. Once water levels recede, the utility plans to:
- Conduct integrity and insulation tests on TR1 and TR3.
- Replace or refurbish any damaged protection and control cabling.
- Re‑energise the transformers only after successful test results confirm they meet safety and performance standards.
The utility emphasized that the force‑majeure notice does not imply negligence; rather, it acknowledges that extreme weather has created circumstances beyond TCN’s immediate control, a stance aligned with the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission’s (NERC) guidelines on force‑majeure events in the power sector.
Effect on Electricity Consumers
The outage primarily affects customers of the Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC), whose feeders draw substantial power from the Oworonshoki transmission point. EKEDC has advised consumers to expect intermittent supply until the substation is restored.
TCN issued an apology to affected users, stating:
“We regret any inconvenience this may cause to EKEDC’s customers when purchasing electricity from the substation. All available resources have been deployed to restore the Oworonshoki facility as soon as conditions permit.”
Broader Implications for Power Infrastructure in Coastal Cities
Industry experts note that the Lagos incident underscores a growing vulnerability of transmission assets to extreme weather, especially in low‑lying coastal urban areas. A 2023 study by the African Development Bank highlighted that flood‑related incidents account for roughly 18 % of unplanned outages in West African power grids over the past five years.
To mitigate future risk, stakeholders recommend:
- Elevating critical equipment above historical flood levels.
- Installing robust drainage and pump‑station systems at substations.
- Adopting real‑time water‑level monitoring linked to automatic shutdown protocols.
- Updating asset‑management plans to incorporate climate‑resilience standards endorsed by NERC and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC).
As TCN continues its recovery efforts, the situation serves as a reminder that investing in climate‑adaptive infrastructure is essential for maintaining reliable electricity supply in Nigeria’s rapidly expanding megacities.
