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Tag: national grid

  • Electricity: National grid restored after partial disturbance – TCN

    Electricity: National grid restored after partial disturbance – TCN

    The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) says the national grid has been fully restored after a partial disturbance at about 11:21 a. m. on Sunday.

    Mrs Ndidi Mbah, TCN’S General Manager Public Affairs in a statement in Abuja on Sunday said that the company initiated immediate restoration of the affected part of the grid.’

    ”The Transmission Company of Nigeria,  hereby states that the grid experienced a partial disturbance at about 11:21hrs with Ibom power islanded feeding Eket, Ekim, Itu and Uyo transmission substations, during the period of partial disturbance, ” she said.

    Mbah said that prior to the incident, total generation on the grid was 3,901.25 Mega Watts (MW) at 8 a. m, a little over three hours before time of partial collapse.

    According to her, It is important to note that low power generation has persisted since January to date, exacerbating daily due to the lingering gas constraint.A

    According to the National Control Centre (NCC), the Internet of Things (IoT) revealed that just before the partial disturbance, which occurred at Sapele, Steam and Egbin Substations lost 29.32MW and 343.84MW at 11:20:14 hrs and 11:20:17hrs respectively, totalling 373.16MW.

    Read Also: FG boosts national grid with additional 30MW

    ”This, combined with the current low power generation due to gas constraints, caused the imbalance leading to the partial system disturbance.

    ”Gas constraints continue to impact grid flexibility and stability. Ensuring sufficient gas supply to power generating stations is crucial for grid stability, ” she said.

    Mbah said that sufficient generation allows for better grid management in the event of sudden generation losses like this.

    She said that TCN would investigate the cause of tripping of Sapele Steam and Egbin power generating units.

    (NAN)

  • FG boosts national grid with additional 30MW

    FG boosts national grid with additional 30MW

    The National grid may soon get a major boost with the addition of 30 megawatts from the Kashimbilla hydropower plant. 

    The addition is expected to facilitate the development of Small and Medium enterprises (SMEs) in Taraba and Benue States.

    Surrounding communities in Taraba State, especially those displaced by the Dam construction are already benefitting from the 10 megawatts currently being distributed directly from the 40 megawatts capacity plant.

    Speaking during an inspection tour of Kashimbilla hydropower plant in Taraba State and the 56 km 132KV transmission line from Yandev to Makurdi in Benue State, the Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, said the plant with its state-of- the art technology which includes automated tracking and monitoring system (SCADA), is working effectively.

    Read Also: Dangote to increase power generation to national grid

    His Special Adviser on Strategic Communications and Media Relations, Mr. Bolaji Tunji made this known in a statement on Thursday.

    According to the statement, Adelabu who also visited the 132/33KV substation in Amua, Gboko Local government area, Benue State revealed that the four turbines installed in Kashimbilla power plant are working perfectly well and generating 100 per cent of the installed capacity.

    The power plant has an installed capacity of 40 megawatts but only 10 megawatts is presently being evacuated.

     Managing Director of Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Engr. Sule Ahmed Abdulazeez said that efforts are in top gear to make sure that the 132KV transmission line from Yandev to Apir in Markudi, is finished.

  • ‘How to prevent another national grid collapse’

    ‘How to prevent another national grid collapse’

    • TCN battled blackout for hours

    Experts and stakeholders in the energy sector yesterday called for a comprehensive infrastructure upgrade and development of an emergency systemic support for the national electricity ecosystem.

    They spoke against the background of yesterday’s collapse of the national grid, which pummeled the country’s electricity output from 4,182 megawatts (mw) to 273mw and threw most parts of the country into darkness for many hours.

    From South to East and North, the grid collapse cut off power from homes and businesses, with losses estimated at several billions of naira.

    The collapse was due to an explosion that followed a fire outbreak on Kainji/Jebba 330KV line 2 in the early hour of yesterday.

    The grid collapse was another of the numerous collapses witnessed in recent months.

    The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) however successfully battled to restore power to several part of the country, with an assurance on plans to forestall reoccurrence of the total blackout.

    Those who spoke said in order to have steady national grid, there is an urgent need to have an infrastructure upgrade across the entire value-chain of the electricity sector.

    Last night, the TCN said it had restored power supply to the West, North Central, South, East, and a large portion of the Northern parts of the country.

    Read Also: BREAKING: TCN mum as national grid collapses

    TCN noted that the last total system collapse recorded was on July 20, 2022, and since then, to the September 13, 2023, the system had been stable in spite of the challenges posed by zero spinning reserve and lack of system control and lack of adequate data acquisition (SCADA) essential to a strong and stable grid.

    TCN stated that it had launched investigation into the grid collapse, with a view to forestalling future occurrence and further strengthening the grid.

    Chief Executive Officer, DAOSDEK International, Olufemi Dawodu, an engineer, said that for the country to have a steady and efficient national grid, there is a need to have an assessment of what is on ground as this would help have an appropriate solution.

    He said there was a need for real-time monitoring and reaction, explaining that sensors can be deployed to monitor electrical parameters such as voltage and current, as well as the condition of critical components.

    He pointed out that such measures would enable the system to constantly tune itself to an optimal state.

    Read Also: BREAKING: TCN mum as national grid collapses

    “We need to establish what the energy requirement needs nationally and then weigh it with our generation, transmission and distribution capacities. These are the main modules we need to get right first,” Dawodu said.

    According to him, although the electricity generation in the country remains a far cry from its requires, the quantity being generated is also wasted because of the lack of capacity to evacuate what is generated.

    “There is a need to have the right capacity to evacuate electricity generated. Some of the transmission lines are outdated and need replacement. When electricity is generated and there is no capacity to evacuate same quantity generated, then it becomes a loss across the value chain,” the DAOSDEK boss explained.

    Dawodu, who was actively involved in the construction of one of the country’s power plant, with an engineering experience of over four decades, also said there is a need to improve on the distribution face of the sector. He warned that a situation where the load factor on a transformer keeps increasing disproportionately to its capacity could also make electro supply epileptic,” Dawodu said.

    An economist, Olusola Olubowale, explained that with the opening up of the electricity sector by President Bola Tinubu through the signing of the Electricity Act 2023, there will be improvement in the sector since state governments and the private sector can now generate and transmit their own electricity.

    Olubowale explained, excess supply of electricity from the states or private sector can be transmitted to the national grid.

    “Having a modern grid would enable data to flow between consumers and electricity retailers. This will enable grid operators to match electricity supply with demand and plan grid expansion. Also, there should be plans to decentralize the grid, especially in this era of renewable energy sources like solar photovoltaic and wind turbines,” Olubowale said.

    Blackout nationwide

    Due to the power production disruption, TCN Independent System Operator (ISO) sent 00mw allocation to the 11 electricity distribution companies (DisCos), prompting the DisCos to send alarm messages to customers.

    In a message to its customers, the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC), said the grid collapse has resulted in the loss of supply being experience in the country.

    Head, Corporate Communications, EEDC, Mr. Emeka Ezeh said there was a “a total system collapse”, which “resulted to the loss of supply currently being experienced across the network”.

    “Due to this development, all our interface TCN stations are out of supply, and we are unable to provide service to our customers in Abia, Anambra,  Ebonyi,  Enugu and Imo States. We are on standby awaiting detailed information of the collapse and restoration of supply from the National Control Centre (NCC), Osogbo,” Ezeh stated.

    Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) also announced to its customers that the grid collapse was accountable for the outage.

    Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHEDC) also notified its customers that the grid collapse was responsible for the outage in its franchise areas of Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, and Cross River State.

  • System collapses as DisCos drop load

    The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has announced that the National Grid experienced a system collapse on sunday at 9.10a.m due to high voltage.

    It followed a massive drop of load by the electricity distribution companies.

    According to a statement by the General Manager Public Affairs, Mrs. Ndidi Mbah, the high voltage also caused a fire incident in the 75MXreactor in the Benin Substation, Sapele Road in Benin City, Edo State.

    The massive load drop led to high voltage in the system, which shattered the lightning arrester in close proximity to the 75MX Reactor in Benin Substation.

    The shattered lightning arrester porcelain hit the reactor bushing, causing further explosion on the reactor and resulting in fire outbreak.

    Restoration of the grid commenced immediately and as at 1.30pm, bulk power supply to most parts of the nation had been restored.

    The TCN management lauded the efforts and support of Edo State Government and Benin Electricity Distribution Company as well as the Fire Service in putting out the fire and restoring normal power supply.

    The firm’s management has commenced the movement of another reactor to Benin City to replace the burnt reactor and ensure voltage stability in the city as well as prevent a re-occurrence.

    The TCN added that it would also ensure a review of the entire protection and earthing system nationwide. This will be done in addition to the overall upgrading of the system through the TREP programme being financed by multi-lateral donors.

    It added that the installation of three reactors on the Ikot- Ekpene- Ugwuaji –Jos line has reached an advance stage.

    It is expected that once these three reactors are installed and commissioned, the grid would be further stabilised.

    TCN Management assured Nigerians that “it is doing everything possible to modernise, upgrade and stabilise the National Grid”.

  • UNILAG students seek to generate electricity outside national grid

    Engineering students of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) are seeking ways to generate electricity outside the national grid for rural communities in a bid to promote research and growth.

    The students are making the effort under the umbrella of University of Lagos Engineering Association.

    “We want to proffer a solution to poor electricity supply. We want to see how to give electricity in rural areas a boost.

    “We want to generate electricity that will be independent of the national grid,’’ Mr. Mojolaoluwa Keshinro, a member of the association, said in Lagos yesterday.

    Keshinro, a mechanical engineering student, spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

    He said Nigeria was lagging behind in technology and needed to adequately fund research to encourage innovation.

    “The world is moving fast in terms of technology.

    “The last innovation in Nigeria was carried out by the late Prof. Ayodele Awojobi, one of the best brains produced by UNILAG,’’ he said.

    Keshinro called for sponsorship of competitions that would encourage innovation.

    The President of the association, Olarenwaju Adejumoriola, told NAN that Nigeria’s inadequate investment in research hindered it from tackling some challenges.

    Adejumoriola, a final year chemical engineering student of UNILAG, said adequate funding of research would provide solutions to many of Nigeria’s problems.

    “The purpose of education is to mold minds and not to look for jobs.

    “This country is blessed with intelligent scholars with highly creative minds and innovative thinking.

    Nigerians are some of the best brains found in many parts of the world,’’ Adejumoriola said.

    “We, as engineering students, are concerned with how to think critically about issues that affect the society and work hard to proffer solutions.

    “However, we are saddened by the fact that there is no adequate support from governments, especially in providing research materials and grants,’’ he said.

    He appealed to governments to improve research funding.

  • NNPC to contribute 4,000mw to national grid within 10 years

    NNPC to contribute 4,000mw to national grid within 10 years

    The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) says it will generate about 4,000 megawatts of power in the next 10 years to boost power supply in the country.

    The Corporation’s Chief Operating Officer, Gas and Power, Mr Saidu Mohammed, made this known in a statement signed by NNPC Group General Manager, Public Affairs, Ndu Ughamadu, on Monday.

    Mohammed said the corporation would achieve this by building independent power plants over the next three to 10 years.

    He said that the power plants, which would be built with Joint Venture Companies, international power companies and Nigerian investors, would be structured after the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas business model.

    “Power generation is a big business. As at today, NNPC has interest in two power plants, one in Okpai, Delta State and the other in Afam, Rivers State.

    “Both were built by joint ventures with Nigerian Agip Oil Company and Shell Petroleum Development Company.

    “These two power plants collectively generate up to 1,000 megawatts and they are the most reliable and cheapest source of power to the national grid in Nigeria today,” Mohammed said.

    Mohammed said in order to make up the 4,000 megawatts, plans were underway to build Okpai Phase 2, Obite and Agura power plants to boost power generation in the country.

    He said that the corporation had commenced the extension of its major gas pipeline infrastructure on Ajaokuta-Abuja-Kaduna-Kano axis and other robust network to connect various parts of the country.

    “The main base-loads to justify such infrastructure are power plants that would consume the gas and for that, we are planning to build about 2,000 to 3,100 megawatts, combined in these three cities.

    “The partnership will involve players who will bring in their various capacities as operators, builders of power plants and as investors.

    “NNPC will also bring its strength of being a dominant player in the Nigerian gas value chain,” he said.

    He said NNPC had developed capabilities in processing, transportation and marketing of gas for export and domestic utilisation, adding that the nation’s gas resources could change Nigerian economy for the better.

    “If you generate enough power, the multiplier effect will revive most of the moribund industries across the country.

    “NNPC intends to capture 50 per cent of the gas market by growing the Nigerian Gas Marketing Company from the 500 million standard cubic feet/day of gas that it is today to about 3-4 billion standard cubic feet/day in the next 10 years,’’ he said .

  • National grid power deficit hovers around 13,843Mw

    Consumers connected to the national grid require additional output of 13,843 megawatt (Mw) of electricity to  meet their needs a report from the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has shown.

    According to TCN’s report for August 12-15, average daily output was 13,843Mw national peak demand forecast was well above 17,000Mw with output remaining below 4,000Mw.

    The report showed that within the four days, power generation averaged 3,877Mw while the national peak demand forecast was 17,720Mw reflecting a shortfall of 13,843Mw. Power generation to the national grid, according to the report, has been above 3,000Mw since last month when attacks on gas pipelines by the Niger Delta militants started reducing.

    It stated that peak generation on August 12 was 3,866.9Mw. On August 13 and 14, peak generations were 3,733.4Mw and 3,686.3Mw, while othe following day, it was 3,921.4Mw, an average of 3877Mw.

    The TCN also said the nation has an installed transmission capacity of 11,165.40Mw while the functional facilities, if optimally, utilised can supply 7,139.60Mw. The shortfall may be due to several constraints, including facility breakdown.

    Also contrary to allegations of poor capacity levelled against the transmission firm, including inability to wheel more than 5,000Mw to electricity distribution companies (Discos), TCN said its transmission capability was 7,000Mw while the network operational capability was 5,500Mw.

    The  Research and Advocacy, Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors (ANED) Executive Director, the umbrella body of the electricity distribution companies in Nigeria, Mr. Sunday Olurotimi Oduntan, said the estimated national peak demand forecast of about 17,000Mw by the TCN was only a fraction of the national demand as the huge energy-consuming firms are not connected to the grid.

    Oduntan said it was difficult to determine national consumption as most of the big consumers are off-grid.

    “The actual national energy demand may be difficult to determine because many organisations, industrial concerns and rural communities, such as the Redeemed Christian Church  of God and Winners Chapel headquarters as well as Dangote Industries Limited, among many others, are not connected to the grid.

    “There is huge power deficit in Nigeria but going by the number of customers captured on the grid, 20,000Mw would be able to give the stable electricity supply expected by Nigerians. However, it is a herculean undertaking to generate the 20,000Mw that I feel will enable industrial firms to comfortably connect to the national grid,” he said.

  • Govt to add 1206Mw to national grid

    Govt to add 1206Mw to national grid

    • Seeks joint effort on Lake Chad

    The Minister of Works, Power and Housing, Babatunde Fashola yesterday said plans have reached final stage to add extra 1,206 megawatts (Mw) of electricity to the national grid.

    Fashola said the power would be generated through the concluded 14 frameworks for solar panel projects embarked upon by the Federal Government.

    He spoke during a meeting with the French delegates headed by France Minister of Environment and Power, Mrs. Segolene Royal, alongside her Nigerian counterpart, Amina Mohammed in Abuja.

    Fashola said the present administration is committed to adopting renewable energy as part of efforts to convert the nation’s numerous challenges to opportunities.

    According to him, it became necessary to provide adequate incentives in terms of cost to make solar power more attractive and efficient to the people.

    “As you mentioned, we are vulnerable today as a nation facing loss of our territorial areas to desert encroachment in the north, a lot of erosion in the eastern part of the country, rising water levels and coastal challenges in the southern part of the country. Perhaps, I doubt if there is any country that has such mixture challenges.

  • GE backs Bresson’s plan to feed 500Mw to national grid

    The global energy giant, General Electric (GE), has thrown its weight behind Bresson AS’s plan to provide 500 megawatts of electricity to the national grid by next year.

    Gaspower Systems Managing Director, Mr. Mohammed Mijindadi, who disclosed this over the weekend during Bresson AS’s officials  visit to Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, added that financing the project is a priority.

    “The project has tremendous economic value, and that is why GE Capital is involved in structuring finances for Bresson 500mw project,” Mijindadi said.

    Earlier, Bresson Nigeria Limited Chairman, Mr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, assured Vice President  Osinbajo that the megawatts to be generated would come from Bresson Initiative and its Magboro power plant in Ogun State.

    He said the capacity, which will be available in Phase 1 from the second quarter of 2017, would represent 10 percent of the national capacity.

    Olawepo praised the administration for removing bottlenecks associated with signing of power purchase agreements, informing the Vice President that the Minister of Power approved the agreements without delay and without waiting to be lobbied.

    Describing the new style of government performance as commendable, Olawepo-Hashim noted that the new development would attract more investors and fast track the administration’s efforts to provide adequate power supply to the citizenry.

    In his address, the Vice President reiterated to the team of investors that the administration is committed to remove all bottlenecks hindering investor’s in the power sector, commending Bresson for the integrated nature of its power projects developing a model of fuel sufficiency by also investing in Gas Production.

    Osinbajo  assured the investors that “the administration is working to ensure regular supply of gas to the power plants and efforts are on to attract investment into this sector”.

    He described Bresson’s integrated model in power generation as a good model noting that “we shall support you and other genuine investors with recognisable foot print but we shall monitor you closely to ensure you adhere to your schedule’’; he said.

    The High Commissioner of Slovakia, the country where Bresson technical partners hail from, Mr. Peter Holasek, assured the vice president of the readiness of his country to support Nigeria in the power sector.

    He described his country as a small nation but with huge technical capacity, which he said Nigeria can tap to address her technological needs.

     

     

  • Egbin Power adds 220MW to national grid

    Egbin Power adds 220MW to national grid

    Power generation has received a boost following the rehabilitation of Egbin Power Plc’s ST-06, a 220-megawatt (MW) steam turbine generator after eight years during which the turbine remained inoperable.

    This brings the plant back to its installed capacity of 1,320MW.

    The management of the company, in a statement by its chief executive officer, Mike Uzoigwe, said the rehabilitated and restored Unit ST-06 brings an additional 220MW to the Nigerian National Electricity Grid and would also bolster power supply to the Lagos metropolis.

    ST-06 was first inaugurated  in November 1987. But it suffered a boiler explosion during operation in 2006, “due to some water tube phenomenon”.

    With the unit now generating at full stream, Egbin is presently in the final stages of a bilateral agreement to supply 220MW to Ikeja Electricity Distribution Plc (Ikeja Electric) and Eko Distribution Company.

    The development, the company said, is set to yield about 16 per cent additional power supply to Lagos, the nation’s commercial nerve centre.

    The transformation at the nation’s largest generation plant started following its acquisition by Sahara Power, working through a number of Special Purpose Vehicles (SPV) in collaboration with its technical partners, Korea Electric Corporation (KEPCO).

    Uzoigwe said the company considered the rehabilitation of ST Unit 6 to be a major breakthrough, noting that huge resources were deployed into achieving a complete tear-down overhaul of the unit.

    He noted that  although the Nigerian electricity market was not yet bankable, Egbin had in collaboration with KEPCO continued to achieve laudable feats for the country.

    Uzoigwe added that KEPCO had started the overhaul of unit ST-04, in its quest to ensure that Egbin operates in compliance with global standards.