By TAYO ELEGBEDE
Worried about the danger of erosion on power facilities in the country, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) is requesting that the federal government set up a Fund to tackle ecology challenges across the country.
The agency noted that creating a fund for that purpose can prevent incidences that can lead to the collapse of major facilities that the country spent a huge amount of money to construct and install. lines through which the country
The transmission company in its programme titled ‘power circuit’ was worried about soil excavation activities and erosion especially during the raining season that often affects critical national facilities for the transmission of power like transmission lines, towers, and substations.
The Head, Health Safety and Environment (HSE), TCN, Kangeh Cephas explained that a tower carries high capacity conductors that deliver between 200 megawatts to over 600 megawatts of electricity across states on the national power grid, and the destruction of the bae of such facility by erosion can cause its collapse.
He lamented that resources meant for other issues are currently being channeled to salvage the situation adding that “government needs to specially provide some intervention funds through the ministry of power to domicile with the TCN to tackle such ecological emergencies.
Cephas advanced that heavy rains easily lead to erosion In some areas like the southeast, where the soil is very loose adding that the situation is worsened by people who sometimes excavate for mineral resources very close to towers
He revealed that in recent times, Onisha, Shiroro, Enugu, among other locations have recorded incidences, while the most recent was at the Apo district in Abuja were TCN has a 132/33 kV transmission lines.
“There are over 1000 units of this 132 kV and 332 kV transmission towers in the thick forest where it takes time to detect erosion activities, and the Company’s proactive measures are required to secure the tower bases by reclaiming loosed soil near the transmission line right of way to avert any threats.
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