The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN)

  • Ninth grid collapse?

    •This, within just six months is intolerable. It calls for drastic measures from the govt

    AS if to cap its half-year of infamy, the nation’s power grid suffered another collapse on June 30 – the ninth in the year – throwing electricity consumers across the country into blackout for hours. In January alone, the system collapsed five times; in April it was once while in May, the system collapsed twice.

    As in previous times, Nigerians were treated to the same all too familiar blame game. The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) attributed the situation to the high voltage from massive drop of load by the electricity distribution companies (DisCos) . According to the company in a statement a few hours after the incident, “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 a further explosion on the reactor and resulting in a fire outbreak.”

    The DisCos however disagreed. On their part, they put the blame squarely on the feet of TCN. Speaking through their cartel, the Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors (ANED), the body insisted that the poor transmission network protection mechanism by TCN should be held responsible. Spokesman of ANED, Sunday Oduntan, said incidents of burnt transmission stations and failed transmission substation recorded in Lagos, Calabar, Abuja, Enugu and Onitsha within the year were due to inadequate transmission protection mechanisms and procedures. Deploring what he claims to be  “TCN’s practice of arbitrary load dumping on the DisCos whenever the TCN is having challenges managing energy on its grid, causing a myriad of commercial and technical problems, he insisted that these deficiencies of TCN were captured in a July 2017 System Adequacy Report. Citing the whopping 100 partial and total transmission system collapses since the sector’s privatisation in 2013 as proof of the quantum of the work that needs to be done by TCN, he advised the company to “focus on realising actual delivery of its acclaimed 8100MW wheeling capacity as the current figure is based on nothing more than a computer simulation”.

    Nine system collapses all within the space of six months? This is certainly not what Nigerians bargained for when the Federal Government sold the unbundled power entities to the disparate players. An unbundled power sector, we were told, not only held better prospects of attracting capital and expertise to a sector that had suffered years of neglect by government, but also one of enhanced service delivery to the consumer. Today, those promises have since turned into a mirage as all manner of alibis are bandied by players to no end while the government typically looks pathetically on.

    As far as we can see, the problem is neither difficult to isolate nor complex to confront. It is the lack of will to address them that has long turned the situation into a national scandal or embarrassment. To begin with, TCN is still firmly in the hands of the government and so its inability to ramp up investment to boost transmission capacity is not only untenable, it makes it only slightly better than the DisCos routinely vilified.

    No doubt, the DisCos must be held as the chief culprits. Unable to inject fresh capital as promised, they have done little else than whine over issues of tariff while remaining unresponsive to legitimate consumer demands for electricity meters and overall improved services.  Just as daily reports of loads being turned down even when most parts of the country are yet to be served are familiar, they have neither demonstrated willingness nor capacity to undertake the quantum of investments needed to turn things around, preferring instead to prey on the system by failing to pay the bulk trader– the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc (NBET) for power sold to them– thereby putting the entire sector at great risk.

    To pretend that the system will at some point improve with the current set of actors is to choose to live in fantasyland. What the country needs at this time are drastic steps to salvage the sector. One way is for the government to review the entire privatisation exercise against the benchmark set at its inception. The other, perhaps more pragmatic, is for government to get new but credible players on board by divesting a part of its holdings while getting the DisCos to also shed a part of theirs to them. For the umpteenth time, we say that Nigerians deserve better than the present crop of players are equipped to give.

  • Power supply: SGF expresses confidence in TCN 

    The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, has expressed confidence in the ability of the Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, to supply adequate electricity to Nigerians.

    He made the remark when he received the management team of TCN in his office.

    He commended management for the strategy employed in the utilization of indigenous expertise in its operations which has assisted in the optimal productivity by the company.

    He said from the briefing he received and considering the work that is being put in place, Nigerians would soon enjoy adequate and uninterrupted power supply across the country.

    Mustapha, in a statement by the Director Information, Willie Bassey, said adequate power supply with efficient transmission and distribution across the country would soon have a positive impact on job creation and employment.

    Read Also: Why I want to be APC National Secretary, by Mustapha

    Speaking earlier, the Managing Director of the company, Mr. Usman Mohammed said the team came to brief the SGF on the efforts made and grounds covered in stabilising and modernising the national grid.  He described transmission as the backbone of adequate provision of electricity, adding that in the system operator, generation and distribution cannot be isolated.

    Mohammed disclosed that the company is on a steady path to modernising the national grid.

    He expressed confidence that when the moderniation is completed, the country will experience stability in power supply and sell electricity to neighbouring West African countries.

    He thanked the Federal Government for given the company the support required to perform.

  • TCN gives reasons for grid collapse despite $1.6b investments

    Despite the $1.6billion investments in transmission lines and substations, the Managing Director, Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Mr. Usman Gur Mohammed Saturday gave excuses why the electricity system has been experiencing incessant system collapse.

    While he blamed the mess the investment that was yet to crystalize, lack of full frequency control, absence of spinning reserve and register of events, he also shifted part of the blame to the electricity distribution companies (DisCos), which he said their low utilization of load was accountable for the system collapse.

    The TCN, he said, needs to have frequency control to have a stabilized grid, although the company has achieved 49.5 and 50.5Hz from May 2017 to December 2018 and 49.75  to 50.25Hz still in December which is almost 80% of the time instead of 100%.

    According to him, the company also needs to have spinning reserve as with the average generation of 4,000mw, the spinning reserve is supposed to be 400mw, but the TCN has 0mw spinning reserve.

    Mohammed who was briefing reporters in Abuja  on the recent system instability in the country, dropped the hint that the company has done competitive procurement of spinning reserve, under the directive of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) for the 260mw, which would still be inadequate but better for a stable grid.

    He however noted that the commission was yet to approve the procurement of the 260mw spinning reserve.

    Mohammed said for the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry to have a stable grid, it must have a register of event that will register any player on the grid to observe activities in the grid.

    Read Also: TCN explains collapse of national grid

    Since there is no register of event, it is impossible to see violators of the grid and to mete out the necessary sanctions to them.

    The TCN boss said that “the kind of grid we are managing, whenever it rains the whole supply will go down. Even Abuja that is that is built like a model city that is under ground, if it rains, you discover that the power of Abuja goes down. The down tool of distribution network can also lead to system collapse.”

    He noted that this is the reason that he has always called for the recapitalization of the DisCos to match the level of investment that the transmission company has achieved.

    Usman said that “if you look at the interface between us and the distribution companies there is no adequate protection. As we speak with you most of the network, it is the TCN protection that is also providing protection for evoke houses, which is not normal.”

    He revealed that out of the 738 interfaces with the DisCos, only 421 have have full protection on the sides of the DisCos.

    Apart from pointing accusing the DisCos of low investments in equipment that should enable them absolve more load, he accepted the TCN has invested in the grid it still the fund is yet to crystallize.

    His words: “You are aware that we raised significant of investments in lines and substations up to $1.6billion. But you know that the investment in transmission takes time, it is not something you can fix in one day.

    “Of course, we have used our staff, using the equipment we recovered from ports (730 containers) out of 800 containers. That we have been able to invest in the lines and substations. But we are not yet there because the critical acclaim investment from even the donors are not yet crystallized.”

    Mohammed “our grid is still fragile. It is a journey that will take us to a stabilized grid.”

    On the Apo incident, he explained that what happened in Apo recently where we had a transformer that got burnt, TCN restored supply within two hours because of its possession of N-1 equipment.

    He said that it means that “we should have line in loop so that if there is problem in one line we can shift from it. That is what it means by critical investment in line and substations.”

  • Why power generation, supply is low, by TCN

     

    The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has explained power generation reduced due to an emergency maintenance by Nigerian Gas Company (NGC) on pipeline supplying gas to Egbin, Omotosho, Olorunsogo and Paras power stations.

    Mrs Ndidi Mbah, TCN’s General Manager, Public Affairs in a statement on Saturday said the maintenance led to the total shutdown of the four power generating plants on April 25.

    Mbah said the maintenance on the pipeline was reportedly caused by a leakage discovered on the Escravos-Lagos gas pipeline system.

    She also said that prior to the incident, Omotosho National Integrated Power Plant (NIPP) and Olorunsogo NIPP were already out due to gas supply issues.

    She, however, said NGC had begun works to repair the gas pipeline and restore normal supply to the affected power plants.

    “Presently, repairs have been completed and the pipeline is currently being pressurised prior to resumption of gas supply to the affected power stations’’

    She said TCN had diverted about 312MW of electricity from the Benin-Egbin 330kV transmission line which tripped by 23:14 hours on April 23 to Omotosho–Ikeja West and Ayede-Ikeja 330kV transmission lines.

    READ ALSO:TCN’s capacity utilisation dips to 14.8%

    The TCN spokesperson attributed the diversion to on-going repair works on the Benin-Egbin 330kV transmission line.

    She said the tripping was caused by a transmission line cut between Ofofu and Okada towns, noting that TCN engineers are making concerted efforts to complete repair works on the transmission line.

    She, however, said the diversion had also reduced the load shedding in Lagos axis.

    “Due to the diversion of the load from the line to the two transmission lines equally feeding Lagos axis, load shedding in Lagos axis was minimised to about 280MW at the first instance.’’

    She, however, said with the attendant gas supply issues and sudden gas leakage problem, load shedding had increased considerably.

    Mbah said TCN regrets the inconveniences, but assured that power supply would return to normal as soon as normal gas supply is restored to the affected power stations and transmission repair work completed.(NAN)

     

  • TCN: DisCos must recapitalise

    The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) yesterday said all the electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) must recapitalise so as to raise funds to expand their dsitribution infrastructure across the country.

    The TCN blamed the conspiracy to reject 40 per cent of the load allocation to the DisCos on the lack of requisite infrastructure to accomoodated the load.

    Its Assistant General Manager, Transmission, Abuja sub-Station, Engr. Suleman Mahmud, told reporters that the DisCos have adopted a common practice known as ‘load management’ with which they reject 40 per cent of the load that is wheeled to them for distribution to their customers.

    He urged the Federal Government to make a policy that will force the DisCos to recapitalise.

    He said: “That is why we are calling on government (Federal Ministry of Power) to make a policy directive that will lead to the recapitalisation of the DisCos. We are also calling of NERC to also make a regulation that will lead to the recapitalisation of the DisCos.”

    He complained that no matter the amount of investment that TCN put into transmission expansion,  it cannot achieve the desired result.

    Mohammed said because there is a symbiosis relationship in the market, the non-performance of any of the chain affects the performance of the other ends.

    He submitted said the DisCos are neither generating the expected revenue nor carrying out the required investments.

    He said: “That is why we need the massive investment on the side of the DisCos…  The electricity industry is a connected business. If the GenCos do not perform it will effect TCN. If the DisCos do not perform, it will also affect the TCN and the GenCos. So this is the problem.

    “Apart from the fact that we are not getting the required revenue that the DisCos are supposed to to be bringing to the market, also we are not even get getting the required investment on their side so that we can have seamless relationship.”

    On tariff hike, he said it will not solve the problem in the industry.

  • TCN insists on DisCos recapitalization

    ..as load rejection hits 40 percent

     

    The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) Monday alleged that all the electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) have adopted a common practice known as load management with which they reject 40% of the load that is wheeled to them for distribution to their customers.

    Commenting specifically on the attitude of the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) towards the load that the TCN allocates to it, the Assistant General Manager, Transmission, Abuja Sub-station, Engr. Suleman Mahmud, told journalists in the Apo sub-station, Abuja that it is only about 60% of the load allocation that the AEDC accepts for onward supply to the consumers in its franchise area.

    The management of the TCN fulfilled its promise of taking the reporters on a tour to see the stranded power in the AEDC franchise area by touring on the facilities in Karu and Apo sub-stations in Abuja.

    Asked why the TCN is not supplying the rejected load to other DisCos, he explained that it has become a joint decision of the collective DisCos to reject the load. He said that “most of them have the same practice that they adopt.”

    Read Also: ‘TCN has achieved grid stability’

    He earlier noted that: “If we have 100 per cent to give and somebody (DisCo) is taking 40 per cent, rejecting 40 per cent. As I mentioned earlier that the maximum load they picked one day was 35mw. So we are at the mercy of AEDC. That is the truth.”

    Mahmud, however, attributed the practice of the company to the poor network of the Discos, which he said, is deterring Nigerians from benefiting from government investment in the expansion of transmission network.

    Meanwhile, the AEDC, Head, Corporate Communications, Mr. Oyebode Fadipe, who was called to state his company’s side of the story did not receive his call.

    He replied the message that was sent to him, saying; “Apology for not taking your call. I am in a training at the moment. I will make some enquiring.”

    The load rejection, according to the TCN Managing Director, Mr. Usman Gur Mohammed has led to the loss of five: which includes two in Benin, two in Abuja and one in Onitsha.

    He urged the Federal Government to make a policy that will force the DisCos to recapitalize.

    His words: “That is why we are calling on government (Federal Ministry of Power) to make a policy directive that will lead to the recapitalization of the DisCos. We are also calling of NERC to also make a regulation that will lead to the recapitalization of the DisCos.”

    He complained that no matter the amount of investment that TCN put into transmission expansion, it cannot achieve the desired result.

    Mohammed revealed that because there is a symbiosis relationship in the market, the non-performance of any of the chain affects the performance of the other ends.

    He submitted that the distribution companies are neither generating the expected revenue nor are they carrying out the required investments.

    The TCN boss said that “That is why we need the massive investment on the side of the DisCos…  The electricity industry is a connected business. If the GenCos do not perform, it will affect TCN. If the DisCos do not perform, it will also affect the TCN and the GenCos. So this is the problem.

    “Apart from the fact that we are not getting the required revenue that the DisCos are supposed to be bringing to the market, also we are not even get getting the required investment on their side so that we can have seamless relationship.”

    Asked whether he would help recommend that the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission approve a higher tariff for the DisCos for them to boost their investment, Mohammed said that an upward review of the tariff will not solve the problem.

    According to him, there is a higher distribution loss because the DisCos lack the capacity to collect the charges at even the prevailing tariff.

    He said that “I don’t believe in the argument that only tariff is the problem because capacity is also an issue and there are so many other issues. Even the current tariff if they can collect 100%, I am telling you, we cannot be where we are.”

  • FG directs NEMSA to locate offices in ports over fake equipment

    Owing to influx of sub-standard electrical equipment into the country, the Minister of State for Power, Mustapha Shauri on Thursday directed the Nigeria Electricity Management Service Agency (NEMSA) to establish offices at the airports and seaports for certification.

    He spoke in Abuja during the official presentation of agency’s condition of service and commissioning of surveillance equipment.

    According to him, the electrical equipment such as meters and transformers that the electricity distribution companies (DisCos) and Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) are deployed to homes and offices are of sub-standard qualities.

    His words: “But today if you see the quality of the products we use either as electrical appliance in your home they are of very low standard.

    “We are not only talking of meters, we are talking of transformers that are used by DisCos, transformers used by TCN. I see a future where NEMSA should have an office at the ports.”

    Meanwhile, the NEMSA Managing Director, Engr. Peter Ewesor, who delivered a scorecard of the agency’s performance in 2018 to reporters, disclosed most of the DisCos are of the habit of putting customers on primary feeders.

    The Chief Electrical Inspector of the Federation banned the DisCos from connecting premium customers to the 33kv line to stop poor quality network.

    He said: “We have discovered that people now use primary feeder lines as point load.

    “Because many people tell affluent customers that there is more power on 33Kv, they request the supply from the DisCos.

    Read Also: NEMSA boss advises Nigerians to conserve energy

    “By the time there are several point loads on this line, you no longer get sufficient power to the injection substations where the larger society is being supplied. You now hear of load shedding in the area.”

    The NEMSA boss disclosed in the year under review, the agency tested 2,495 new electrical installations/power projects along the power supply value chain and utilization.

    Out of the number, according to him, 1,866 were certified for use, while 629 failed.

    He noted the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) has a total customer base of 8,914,601 while 3,591,168 are metered, 5,323,433 are unmetered.

    Ewesor said that the ‘conditions of service’ defines the relationship between the agency and its staff in all ramifications.

    He added the Security Surveillance Equipment being commissioned enables NEMSA management at the headquarters to monitor real-time online 24/7 the operations and activities in its three National Meter Test Stations at Lagos, Kaduna and Port Harcourt.

  • BEDC, TCN settle rift for consumers’ satisfaction

    The Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC), and the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) Benin Zone, have resolved to work in synergy for the purpose of satisfying customers in the power sector.
    Both firms held a joint coordination meeting where they agreed to a resolution that they would continue to work together as critical partners in the power sector value chain that are dependent on each other.
    The joint meeting  held as TCN prepared to move a replacement transformer from Irrua to Benin City to tackle power outage affecting some parts of the metropolis.
    In her address, Managing Director of BEDC, Mrs. Funke Osibodu noted that the reality of the power sector value chain was that none could survive without the other.
    Osibodu advised power sector operators against dabbling into the political undertone of power.

    Read Also: TCN cable explosion causes blackouts in Edo

    She stated that it was better they pool resources together in the network to assist and avoid political undertone.
    The BEDC CEO said there was need for the two parties to work together to achieve customer satisfaction and
    advised both TCN and BEDC staffers to be careful by respecting the business and technical components of their operations.
    According to her, “Without customer demand there is no disco, without TCN passing power to the disco there is nothing to distribute and without the Gencos there is no generation. No one leg of the value chain if missing can function without the other hence all parts are important.
    General Manager, Benin Zone of TCN, Engr. Jimi Adetola, said there must be synergy between the BEDC and the TCN.
    He said the meeting should address operational issues affecting both parties who are members of the power sector value chain with a view to finding a common ground in resolving them to favour the customers.

  • TCN tackles power instability in sokoto, birnin-kebbi and gusau

    The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has apologized for the current power supply limitation within Sokoto, Talata-Mafara and Gusau, resulting from transmission capacity constraints on its Birnin-Kebbi-Sokoto-Talata-Mafara-Gusau transmission line, which was caused by the collapse of 132kV tower between Funtua and Gusau.

    According to the statement signed by the GM Public Affairs, Ndidi Mbah, TCN said that the situation was caused by the collapse of Tower No 307 on Funtua-Gusau Transmission line route which cut off bulk electricity supply to Gusau. As remedial measure however, the company has started back-feeding distribution load centres in Gusau through its 80MW capacity Birnin Kebbi-Sokoto-Talata-Mafara Transmission line. The combined capacity of Sokoto, Talata-Mafara and Gusau is much higher than the maximum capacity the line is built to carry, resulting in overload of the line and consequently, reduced bulk electricity to Sokoto, Birnin-Kebbi and Gusau.

    TCN said that it had already mobilized a contractor to site has started erecting a new tower which would be completed in two weeks. It further revealed that investigations into the cause of the collapse are on-going and would soon be concluded.

    The company further stated that under the on-going Transmission Rehabilitation and Expansion Program (TREP), procurement for the Kainji-Birnin Kebbi-Sokoto 330kV transmission Line and a 330kV substation in Sokoto will soon commence. The procurement of high capacity conductors for the re-conductoring Birnin Kebbi-Sokoto and Kaduna-Zaria-Funtua-Gusau 132kV Transmission lines that will double the current capacity of the lines has also reached advanced stage.

    TCN appealed to the governments and good people of Sokoto and Zamfara States for patience, and assured that the tower would be completed as scheduled and normal power transmission restored to electricity consumers in the states.

  • TCN apologizes for unstable power in Sokoto, Birnin-Kebbi

    The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has apologized for the current power supply limitation within Sokoto, Talata-Mafara and Gusau.
    The company explained that, the power limitation is resulting from transmission capacity constraints on its Birnin-Kebbi-Sokoto-Talata-Mafara-Gusau transmission line, which was caused by the collapse of 132kV tower between Funtua and Gusau.
    A statement signed by the GM Public Affairs, Ndidi Mbah read that, “the situation was caused by the collapse of Tower No 307 on Funtua-Gusau Transmission line route which cut off bulk electricity supply to Gusau.
    “As remedial measure however, the company has started back-feeding distribution load centres in Gusau through its 80MW capacity Birnin Kebbi-Sokoto-Talata-Mafara Transmission line.
    “The combined capacity of Sokoto, Talata-Mafara and Gusau is much higher than the maximum capacity the line is built to carry, resulting in overload of the line and consequently, reduced bulk electricity to Sokoto, Birnin-Kebbi and Gusau.”

    Read Also: Wamakko donates 2 m books to Sokoto pupils

    TCN said that it had already mobilized a contractor to site has started erecting a new tower which would be completed in two weeks. It further revealed that investigations into the cause of the collapse is on-going and would soon be concluded.
    The company further stated that under the on-going Transmission Rehabilitation and Expansion Program (TREP), procurement for the Kainji-Birnin Kebbi-Sokoto 330kV transmission Line and a 330kV substation in Sokoto will soon commence.
    “The procurement of high capacity conductors for the re-conductoring Birnin Kebbi-Sokoto and Kaduna-Zaria-Funtua-Gusau 132kV Transmission lines that will double the current capacity of the lines has also reached advanced stage.” It said.
    It however appealed to the governments and good people of Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara States for patience, and assured that the tower would be completed as scheduled and normal power transmission restored to electricity consumers in the states.