Transformer explosion at Rengpang Substation cuts power across Tamenglong District

What happened

The sole 3.15 MVA, 33/11 kV transformer at the Rengpang control room in Tamenglong district, Manipur, tripped with a loud explosion at around 4:17 PM on a Sunday, causing extensive damage to the 11kV incomer panel. A follow-up attempt to recharge the system the next day, after panel installation work, failed when the transformer exploded again around midday. The control panel was completely burnt in the incident. The failure caused a prolonged power outage affecting the 132/33 kV substation at Rengpang and 33/11 kV substations at Tamenglong, Tousem and Khoupum.

A replacement transformer was being arranged from Imphal by the Manipur power department, with officials estimating up to five days for it to arrive and be installed. No injuries were reported.

Contributing factors

The site relied on a single transformer with no redundancy, so its failure caused a complete outage across multiple downstream substations. A second explosion occurred during recharging after panel repair work, suggesting the underlying fault may not have been fully resolved before re-energising the system.

Lessons learned

1. A single 33/11 kV transformer with no redundancy leaves multiple downstream substations without supply after one failure.
2. Re-energising a transformer after the first explosion without resolving the root fault led to a second blast.
3. Remote sites need pre-positioned spares, as arranging a replacement from Imphal takes up to five days.

More lessons on outages, backup supply and restoration, design, standards and commissioning, maintenance, inspection and ageing assets, from every incident on the register.

Not yet known

• Exact cause of the explosions
• Transformer model and age
• Cost of damage and repairs

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Source

ukhrultimes.com