By Prevail Inegbenose
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has successfully carried out live-line maintenance on the Zaria–Funtua 132kV transmission line without interrupting bulk electricity supply.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by the General Manager, Public Affairs, Ndidi Mbah, the company said the maintenance was carried out by its Kaduna Region Live-Line Crew from July 4 to July 7, 2026.
According to TCN, the exercise involved the replacement of damaged glass disc insulators on selected transmission towers with a combination of polymer and glass disc insulators to restore the integrity and reliability of the insulation strings.
The Company listed the affected towers as T14, T17, T40, T63, T78, T175, T177 and T178, noting that each had at least five damaged glass disc insulators.
TCN explained that the maintenance was executed under energized, or live-line, conditions, eliminating the need for a planned outage and ensuring the uninterrupted transmission of bulk electricity throughout the operation.
The company said the successful completion of the exercise demonstrates its commitment to maintaining a safe, reliable and efficient transmission network through the deployment of modern live-line maintenance techniques.
TCN added that the use of live-line technology enables critical maintenance to be carried out while transmission lines remain in service, helping to improve grid reliability and reduce disruptions to electricity supply.