TheNewsGuru

Tag: TCN

  • TCN opens up on efforts to restore power to northern region

    TCN opens up on efforts to restore power to northern region

    The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) says it is intensifying efforts at restoring power to the northern parts of the country.

    Mr Sule Abdulaziz, the Managing Director, TCN said in Abuja on Tuesday at a media briefing  that the ongoing repairs of the damaged transmission line that led to the blackout in northern region  would be completed by Nov 3.

    On  October 22, TCN reported a power outage in the north-east, north-west, and parts of north-central after the 330-kilovolt Ugwuaji–Apir double circuit transmission lines 1 and 2 tripped off.

    The company also reported that the Shiroro-Kaduna line was vandalised, resulting to reduced bulk electricity supply to Kaduna, Kano, and other major cities in the north.

    Abdulaziz said that the area affected by the trip- off had been secured with help of Nigerian Army and concerted effort was on-going in one of the lines for restoration.

    ”Restoration of one of these lines will allow TCN to wheel about 400 Megawatts (MW) of power in that corridor.

    ”Also, TCN is intensifying efforts to repair and restore the second line on Ugwuaji – Apir on or by Nov. 3. This will avail TCN to wheel substantial quantum of power through Apir to Jos to Kaduna to Kano, ‘’ he said.

    According to him, TCN is working with the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) for security of personnel on site of Shiroro – Mando 330 Kilo volt  SC lines for commencement of rehabilitation of impacted towers in the axis.

    Abulaziz attributed the blackout in the northern region to vandalism of Ugwuaji – Apir 330kV lines, which was reported on  Oct. 21,  causing tripping of the lines. He said trial reclosure failed and patrol revealed damaged conductors due to vandalism.

    “This compounded the transmission of bulk power to the northern corridor as these lines serve as link between northern and southern area. This outage severely affected the wheeling capacity of TCN, ‘’ he said.

    Abdulaziz also said that the Shiroro – Mando 330kv line 1 tripped off on Sept. 9, patrol of safe area was done, but faulty section could not be reached due to insecurity.

    He said that efforts were made by using local vigilante who confirmed snap conductor on a tower but they could not identify the tower number.

    “Arrangements were made to use the local group to escort TCN’s engineers in the night to effect repairs in order to evade the bandits in the location.

    “Unfortunately, we did not succeed because the bandits got wind of our Intentions and laid siege im the area.

    “Minimum supply was maintained to the North-West corridor through the second circuit until  Oct. 13,  when the second line tripped-off and failed to stay on trial reclosure, ‘’ he said.

    He said local vigilantes were again engaged to comb the area but could only access part of the safe area.

    He said that due to TCN inability to access the area, it solicited the support of the Nigeria Air Force for unmanned aerial surveillance on Oct. 17 and the impacted towers were identified.

    Mr Abdullahi Yakasai, the Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Community Engagement in the North-West, said that the Federal Government  was working hard to ensure that power was restored to the region.

    Yakasai appealed to Nigerians to be patient with TCN, adding that the blackout in the northern region was not a deliberate effort aimed at hurting the people.

    “President Bola Tinubu is so concerned about the blackout and he is been on top of the situation with the Minister of Power, Mr Adebayo Adelabu and the managing director of TCN

    “We believe in the next five days, power will be restored across the northern states,” he said.

  • TCN reveals plans to prevent future nationwide blackouts

    TCN reveals plans to prevent future nationwide blackouts

    The Managing Director of the Transmission Company of Nigeria, Sule Abdulaziz has revealed plans to prevent future nationwide blackouts.

    Nigerian experienced National Grid collapse three times in the past week which led to an electric power outage across the country.

    But the TCN boss who was speaking as a guest on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, said the company was going to set up a back up system so a nationwide blackout could be avoided should the grid collapse.

    He said: “Presently, we are doing the scatter system for the whole network and it is funded by the World Bank, and the project will take two years to be completed, and now, we have done 70% of the project.

    “Almost a month ago, we were at Gwagwalada (in Abuja) with the World Bank where we celebrated the project. It is 70 percent completed. Once we have the scatter system, it will reduce the frequency of getting system disturbances.

    “We are trying to upgrade all our transmission lines,” he said, adding that though the government might not have enough money for the project, the TCN has been working in partnership with private companies to mobilise funds.

    “The honourable minister ( of power) is now working with the presidency to have that approval. This is what we call the super grid.

    “By the time we have it, even if there is a fault in one transmission line, you can switch to the one so that we have an alternative but now, the type of grid we have, once we have a problem with the line, you have no other line to switch on to.”

     

  • TCN reacts to National grid collapse, restores power

    TCN reacts to National grid collapse, restores power

    The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has reacted to the recent collapse of the national grid, which occurred on Saturday morning.

    TheNewsGuru.com(TNG) reports that National electricity grid failed on Saturday morning, marking the third time the whole country will be experiencing a blackout this week.

    Addressing the collapse, Ndidi Mbah, the TCN’s General Manager for Public Affairs, explained that an explosion in the bus section of a current transformer at the 330kV Jebba Transmission Substation triggered the disturbance.

    However, she assured the public that power has since been restored following the incident.

    The statement reads, “The Transmission Company of Nigeria hereby states that the national grid experienced a temporary disturbance at about 8:15 am, today, 19th Oct. 2024.

    “According to the report from the NCC, the bus section of a current transformer exploded at 330kV Jebba Transmission Substation and as expected, the protection system was activated, and this promptly opened the busbars to curtail the explosion, thereby preventing outbreak of fire and further damage to adjacent equipment.

    “The action of the protection system led to a temporary disturbance on the grid.

    “Our engineers at Jebba have successfully carried out switchings, isolating the faulty current transformer. They have equally reconfigured the busbar arrangement, restoring power supply to the station, and other parts of the grid.”

  • TCN gives latest update on collapsed national grid

    TCN gives latest update on collapsed national grid

    The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has announced that efforts to fully recover the national grid are almost complete following a partial disturbance on Monday.

    The disturbance occurred at approximately 6:48 p.m., prompting immediate recovery efforts.

    Mrs Ndidi Mbah, TCN’s General Manager of Public Affairs, in a statement on Tuesday, said the recovery process commenced swiftly, with Azura Power Station providing the necessary blackstart.

    She said by 10:24 a.m. on Tuesday, the grid recovery had reached advanced stages, in spite of encountering a brief challenge that caused a minor setback.

    “Notwithstanding the setback, TCN continued its recovery efforts, achieving significant progress.

    “Bulk power availability has been restored to approximately 90 per cent of its substations nationwide, with supply reinstated to the Abuja axis and other major distribution load centres.

    “The partial disturbance did not affect the Ibom Gas generating station, which continued to supply power to areas in the South Southern part of the country, including Eket, Ekim, Uyo, and Itu 132 kilovolt transmission substations.”

  • TCN releases fresh update on national grid collapse

    TCN releases fresh update on national grid collapse

    The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has disclosed that the Monday’s national grid collapse which threw the whole country into total darkness was partial.

    Recall that Enugu Electricity Distribution Company on Monday at about 6:48 pm, confirmed the national grid collapse in a statement by its spokesperson, Emeka Ezeh.

    Similarly, the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company and Eko Electricity Distribution Company also confirmed the national grid collapse.

    TCN recorded zero load allocation to the eleven Electricity Distribution Companies.

    Speaking on the development, the spokesperson of TCN, Ndidi Mbah, disclosed that it has begun system recovery to restore supply.

    According to her, the national grid did not collapse entirely as the Akwa Ibom generating Station was “Islanded” to enable it to continue supply through the Eket, Ekim, Uyo and Itu 132 Kilovolt substation.

    She said, “It was a partial system disturbance.”

    “The entire system did not collapse as the IBOM Generating Station was ISLANDED (i.e. separated to stand alone to continue supplying some areas to avoid the entire system going down), to enable It to continue to supply through the eket, Ekim, Uyo, and Itu 132kv substations.

    “Recovery is currently ongoing and has advanced significantly.”

  • TCN to purchase spinning reserve for grid maintenance – MD

    TCN to purchase spinning reserve for grid maintenance – MD

    The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), says it plans to procure a spinning reserve to maintain the national grid frequency within specified limits.

    The Managing Director of TCN, Mr Sule Abdulaziz said this in an interview with NAN in Abuja on Sunday.

    He said that the spinning reserve would maintain the grid even after a system fault or disturbance.

    NAN reports that a spinning reserve is the amount of unused capacity in online energy assets which can compensate for power shortages or frequency drops within a given period of time.

    Abdulaziz said that the spinning reserve, however, required collaboration with critical stakeholders in the power value chain.

    “We are equally working at installing Flexible Alternating Current Transmission System (FACTS) devices at critical nodes on the grid in order to maintain the grid voltage within the specified limits.

    “Some nodes on the grid are susceptible to either high or low voltage problems. FACTS devices help to resolve these voltage problems which in turn will help to strengthen the Grid.

    ”The reliability of the grid is improved when there is redundancy, ” he said.

    The managing director said that the company had proposed several projects in order to close the remaining loops on the network which were still radial, creating redundancy.

    “These projects include the proposed second Jos-Gombe line, Makurdi- Jalingo and Yola-Maiduguri 330 Kilo Volt (kV) lines which will close the open loop in the Northeast.

    “These redundancies will help to further strengthen the grid and help forestall its instability, improving reliability and stability, which will in turn make the grid more robust and less susceptible to faults that can lead to collapse,” he said..

    Abdulaziz said that TCN was also implementing a robust maintenance schedule to regularly inspect and repair aging infrastructure.

    He said that the robust maintenance aimed to prevent sudden failure that may lead to grid collapse.

    The TCN boss said that the company had continued to carry out regular upgrade of its  equipment to prevent technical failure that would reduce downtime; using advanced monitoring and control systems to detect and respond to issues promptly.

    “We deployed the Generation Dip/Loss Detection System (GLDS) and the Internet of Things (IoT) which are significant steps in bolstering Grid stability and reliability.

    “The GLDS plays a pivotal role in detecting, and responding to sudden drops or dips in power generation across the network.

    “This is designed to empower the National Control Centre (NCC) in Osogbo, as it provides Grid controllers in NCC with advanced tools for real-time monitoring and analysis of grid performance, ’’ he said.

    The managing director also said that TCN’s engineers had equally deployed an in-house designed Internet of Things (IoT) technology, in response to the challenge of limited visibility of power generators.h

    “The IoT devices had been strategically deployed across power stations and some sub-stations to facilitate the collection of near real-time data including power generation levels and grid performance metrics.

    “The IoT has enabled the expansion of visibility of power generating stations from 6 to 27, this has helped TCN significantly improve its ability to monitor grid load and identify potential issues before they escalate.

    “TCN is equally using the Free Governor Mode of Operation (FGMO), which automatically adjusts generation in response to frequency changes, ensuring stability, reliability, and reduced transmission losses.

    “Even though this has its challenges in terms of full compliance by the generating stations, it has also contributed to further strengthen the Grid,‘’ he said.

    Abdulaziz said that the company’s research and development department   was championing studies for the development of energy storage systems, which coukd provide backup power during peak demand periods.

    He said: “the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Power, is also working hard to ensure incorporation of renewable energy sources such as Solar and Wind which would reduce the strain on the grid.

    The move, he said would decentralise  energy production through Mini-grids and Off-grid solutions.

  • FG to invest $800m in power sector

    FG to invest $800m in power sector

    The  Federal Government says it plans to invest 800 million dollars in the construction of sub-stations and distribution networks as part of the Presidential Power Initiative (PPI).

    This is contained in a statement issued by Mr Bolaji Tunji, the Special Adviser,  Media and Strategic Communication to the Minister of Power in Abuja on Sunday.

    Tunji said the Minister of Power, Mr Adebayo Adelabu said this during a tour of the TBEA Southern Power Transmission and Distribution Industry in Beijing, China.

    He said that  the minister was in Beijing for the China-Africa Cooperation Summit.

    Adelabu said that the investment would be divided into two lots: 400 million dollars for Lot 2, covering Benin, Port Harcourt, and Enugu Distribution Companies (DISCOs) franchise areas, and 400 million dollars for Lot 3, covering Abuja, Kaduna, Jos, and Kano DISCOs franchise areas.

    The minister expressed concern over the rejection of power by Electricity Distribution Companies (DISCOs), which recently led to a reduction in generation capacity from a peak of 5,170 megawatts by 1,400 megawatts due to their inability to manage the supply.

    He said that in spite of the setback, the government aimed to increase power generation to 6,000 megawatts by the end of the year.

    Adelabu reaffirmed the government’s commitment to collaborating with world-class organisations like TBEA to realise President Bola Tinubu’s vision for the power sector.

    ”Especially in the areas of transmission and distribution of the entire power sector value chain as well as Nigeria’s renewable energy segment.”
    Adelabu said that Nigeria had in 1984 generated 2,000 megawatts, and it took over 35 years to add another 2,000 megawatts.

    He said that under the current administration, power generation increased from 4,000 megawatts to 5,170 megawatts within a year.

    The minister speaking on the problems in the power sector which had hindered industrial growth, said this was due partly to the fragility of the Transmission and distribution infrastructure which had become old and dilapidated.

    “This has led to historical epileptic supply of Power to households, industry and businesses.

    “More than 59 per cent of industries in Nigeria are off the grid. They did not see the national grid as reliable and dependable. So a lot of them now operate their own captive, self-generated power, ” he said.

    Adelabu said that the present administration  was determined to transform the power sector, adding that a lot of activities had started that were gradually bringing back confidence in the sector.

    “When this administration came on board in 2023, we met about 4 gigawatts (4,000 megawatts) of power but within a year, we were able to generate a milestone of 5,170 megawatts.

    ”That is about 1, 000 megawatts of power within the first year. It may look small, but compared to the history of the country, this is commendable”.

    ”Our plan is by the end of the year, we aim to achieve 6,000 megawatts of power through a combination of hydro electric power plants and our gas- fired power plant.

    ”We are also targeting 30 gigawatts of power to be generated, transmitted and distributed by year 2030 out of which 30 per cent will be renewable energy,” he said.

    On the construction of the super grid, the minister said the national grid in its present state could not support the vision for the power sector.

    “If we look at the strength, the capacity and the age of our existing network on the national grid, it cannot really support our vision for the power sector, hence the need for the construction of the Western and Eastern super grid.

    ”Though we have been on this since my assumption of duty, I can also tell you that the president is in full support of this because it will improve our transmission network.

    “It will also stabilise the grid and also expand the capacity and the flexibility of the  grid as 90 per cent of the approval required is in place and will be concluded soon,” he said.

    The statement also quoted the President of TBEA, Huang Hanjie as assuring the audience of the organisation’s continued support for Nigeria’s government vision for the power sector.

    He said TBEA operates across 100 countries in the world and would be willing to share its experience in the provision of energy.

    “The company is not new in Nigeria, it is presently working with the Omotosho, power plant, Ondo State, owned by the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC).”

    Hanjie also commended the minister for the improved power sector as evidenced in improved generation and transmission since his assumption of office.

    He said that TBEA would be willing to work with the Nigerian government to achieve its vision and contribute to the ongoing power sector revolution in the country.

  • Abuja: TCN announces planned power outage

    Abuja: TCN announces planned power outage

    The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has announced that parts of Abuja, the federal capital territory (FCT) will be without electricity power supply on Tuesday.

    TCN disclosed that its maintenance crew will carry out planned maintenance on two of its power transformers at the Apo 132/33kV transmission substation and that this will happen from 9 am to 3 pm.

    According to TCN, the six-hour maintenance exercise is to enable its engineers work on the secondary busbar overhead of the 100MVA and the 60MVA 132/33kV transformers in the substation.

    “Consequently, Abuja DisCo will be unable to offtake electricity to distribute to its customers in Garki, Asokoro, Lugbe and Airport,” a statement by the company reads.

    According to the statement signed by Ndidi Mbah TCN’s General Manager of Public Affairs, electricity power supply will be restored immediately the maintenance is completed.

  • JUST IN: National grid collapses for the fifth time

    JUST IN: National grid collapses for the fifth time

    The National grid has collapsed for the fifth time this year, TheNewsGuru.com reports

    The Transmission Company of Nigeria, (TCN) confirmed the incident to Punch, saying it was a partial collapse.

    The TCN official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, added that power is being restored gradually.

    Meanwhile, TCN, in a recent report, disclosed that there’s been a significant decline in the number of national grid collapses over the last five years, amidst ongoing concerns about the country’s power supply stability.

    Ndidi Mbah, the General Manager of Public Affairs at TCN, disclosed that Nigeria experienced 227 grid collapses from 2010 to April 2024, both total and partial. However, there has been a noticeable improvement in recent years.

    “Between 2020 to date, we recorded fourteen total and six partial grid disturbances, totaling twenty,” Mbah explained.

    This represents a 76.47 per cent reduction compared to the previous five-year period from 2015 to 2019, which saw sixty-four total and twenty-one partial disturbances.

  • Parts of Abuja thrown into total darkness

    Parts of Abuja thrown into total darkness

    Some parts of Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have been thrown into total darkness following a technical fault at a power station of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the technical fault happened on Monday at the Kukwaba Transmission Station, owned by TCN.

    According to the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC), TCN maintenance crew had been working tirelessly to rectify the fault.

    However, going to 48 hours, residents of the areas affected by the technical fault are yet to receive power supply.

    It was gathered that the areas affected are Suncity, Ammsco, Wonderland, Human Right Radio, Kings Park 4, Maccido, Kabusa Garden, Same Global, Golden Spring Estates and surrounding areas.

    “…the current power outage is due to a technical fault at the Kukwaba Transmission Station, owned by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).

    “The TCN maintenance crew is working tirelessly to rectify the fault and restore power supply as quickly as possible,” a notice by AEDC reads.