By Godswill Odiong
The Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, has completed the reconductoring of its new 130KM 132kV double circuit Sokoto – Birnin Kebbi Transmission Line, which was also energized at about 4.35 pm on 13th April 2021.
The new high capacity 132kV Transmission line which affects/ transverses 405 towers along the Birnin Kebbi – Sokoto line route, now transmits about 170MW, which is more than double the 70MW capacity previously transmitted by the decommissioned old 132kV transmission line.
The new 132kV transmission line has solved the low voltage and attendant poor power situation that used to be prevalent in the Sokoto axis, as TCN is now enabled to substantially transmit increased bulk power electricity to Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company’s distribution load centers in Sokoto State and environs.
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 the massive increase in human population and attendant socio-economic activities in the area.
The new line has solved the problem of overloading/ suppressed load and has ample capacity for anticipated load increase.
The Project which commenced in November last year 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 backed 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.
