Parts of Lagos State are facing power outages following a fire outbreak at the Egbin Power Plant on Tuesday morning, which damaged a major transformer operated by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).

The incident occurred around 6:30 a.m. on August 5 and involved a service transformer owned by Egbin Power Plc. The fire spread and severely affected TCN’s 150MVA 330/132/33kV Inter-Bus Transformer II at the Egbin Transmission Substation.

According to TCN’s spokesperson, Ndidi Mbah, a faulty 33kV instrument transformer (CT/VT) installed by Egbin Power was identified as the trigger. The fault reportedly caused oil leakage from TCN’s transformer after tearing its main tank, leading to the blaze.

As a result, power supply was disrupted to the Ikorodu and Odogunyan transmission substations, which supply electricity to areas under the Ikeja Electric (IKEDC) and Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC). Several major 132kV lines, including Sagamu Line 1, Sagamu Line 2, and Maryland Line 2, were also affected.

About 47 megawatts of load were initially lost due to the incident. The load has since been transferred to another transformer at the substation, which is currently overstretched. TCN has introduced rotating power cuts in the affected regions to manage the shortfall.

The company is sourcing a replacement transformer and has appealed to IKEDC and Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) to help balance demand during the period.

“We regret the disruption and are making every effort to restore normal supply as soon as possible,” Mbah said.

Residents in affected areas should expect intermittent power until the damaged equipment is replaced and full operations resume. TCN has promised to keep the public informed as restoration progresses.