A standby transformer which could have averted a major electricity outage across Galway City was out of action due to moving outdoor equipment into a new building. –

The cause of the power cut affecting 8,000 residents and forcing hundreds of businesses to shut for most of last Thursday emerged as City Chief Executive Brendan McGrath said the chronic traffic delays proved that a ring road and a fourth bridge over the Corrib was desperately needed.

Matt Cunningham, area manager for ESB Networks, declined to speak to the Connacht Tribune – but in an interview on Galway Bay FM he explained that the fault occurred at the ESB 110kv substation in Ballybane where four high voltage transformers are in operation.

“One tripped out on a fault…all these transformers have protection relays and protection gear on them but unfortunately this one tripped out,” he stated.

Crews were in the middle of a major project transferring all of the outdoor switch gear inside a new building at the site.

“The standby one [transformer] was not on stand-by, it was switched out in preparation for this other work but we were able to get it back as quickly as we could.”

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