The Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, said Monday that localised trippings in networks of electricity Distribution Companies, DISCOs, was not its responsibility.
TCN, which made this clarification, while specifically reacting to allegation raised by the Benin Electricity Distribution Company, BEDC, to the extent that its network experienced over 2,000 tripping between January and July 2018 owing to unstable National Grid.
General Manager, Public Affairs, at TCN, Ndidi Mbah, noted that the alleged statement was entirely clearly misleading and should be ignored.
Mbah said, “Because in the subsequent part of the same report, BEDC claimed significant improvement in its services which could not have been possible if the national grid was weak as alleged.
“BEDC has no imbedded generation hence it depends entirely on the national grid and could not have recorded such improvement if the national grid has not also improved.
“Since BEDC does not have embedded generation and does not own its own transmission network, achievements like improved electricity supply to over 54 communities, provision of 24-hour supply covering over 20km in Asaba, among others, though commendable, clearly cannot happen if the national grid was as problematic as alleged in the report.
“TCN has good working relationship with BEDC Management and that both companies are working towards improving power supply to BEDC consumers. TCN, therefore, will not join issues nor engage in unnecessary blame game with BEDC.
”However, for the sake of clarity, most of the so called 2,000 tripping were actually on 33/11kV feeders in BEDC’s network due to faults.
“TCN also said that despite significant improvement recorded by the company within the last one and half years, there are still issues being addressed by its Transmission Rehabilitation and Expansion Program supported by several Multilateral and Bilateral donors.
“It equally acknowledged that there are also pressingissues in BEDC which being addressed such as the 40MVA transformer issue at Oghara caused by failure of NNDC to comply with TCN specifications.
“TCN never directed BEDC to reduce load due to Transmission capability as alleged in the report. In fact, it is common knowledge that load reduction is directly related to inability of DISCOs’ nationwide to take the load.
“As at December 2017, TCN’s capacity stood at 7,124MW and since then, the company has installed several transformers, re-conducted transmission lines, rehabilitated as well as built new substations.
“TCN is also poised to achieve internationally recognised redundancy of N-1 within the next few years in the nation’s grid, in line with the policy of President Buhari on incremental power.”
