Why system collapse persists – TCN boss

By Francis Arinze Iloani

The managing director of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Engr. Atiku Tambuwal Abubakar, has said the utility firm cannot assure of stable transmission once the national grid is below 3,500 megawatts (mw).

Engr. Atiku who spoke at the management retreat in Abuja, last weekend, said the system collapses that have occurred this year were due to low generation that tripped off the transmission system thereby causing pockets of outages.

He said once power generation dipped below 3,500mw, there was no guarantee for the prevention of system collapse.

From TCN records, the 10 per cent spinning reserve that helps to stabilise transmission system is often lacking due to acute low generation which results in grid instability and power cut.

As January ends, TCN has recorded over six system collapses already. Mr. Atiku gave an instance of the recent incidence last Thursday when grid dropped to 2,700mw and later to 912mw. He said the instability tripped off the Shiroro hydropower - Kaduna transmission line, and 300mw was lost with hours of power cut.

Atiku who has overseen the operations of TCN since August 2016 after the contract for expatriate Manitoba Hydro International (MHI) ended, said if gas was available, Nigeria could generate and smoothly transmit 5,300mw due to the completed TCN projects like the Ugwuaji-Makurdi-Jos transmission loop.

“Water and adequate gas supply pose serious problems of planning especially at the Generation companies (GenCos) end. We look forward to quick solutions on gas supply, so that our generation can pick up. We are generating about 3,200mw now and we have a forecast of 17,000mw which means we are far apart in terms of the electricity demand and supply,” Atiku said.

Another challenge in power supply, TCN revealed, is the dominance of gas-based power plants in the south and hydropower plants in the north. The TCN boss said, “We need more plants in the North” adding that with the new solar projects, the 40mw Kashimbilla among others this year, there may be improved voltage balance in the north.

On budget performance for TCN, Atiku said TCN got N30 billion in the 2016 Appropriation Act and that N28 billion representing 90 per cent has been released as at January 2017.