The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has given insight into how it has through the energization of a total of 24 power transformers added about 2,000MW of electricity supply to the national grid in the last few years.
Dr. Oluwagbenga Ajiboye, TCN Executive Director (Transmission Service Provider), said in an interactive session with senior journalists in Abuja that this was part of the successes recorded in the TCN operations, adding that it has “completed over 30 transmission projects across the country, including new substations and transmission lines that have added more than 2,000MW of wheeling capacity to the grid.”
According to Dr Ajiboye: “The Transmission Company of Nigeria has added a total of 3,100.5 MVA (2,538MW) to the National Grid. This was achieved through the energization of a total of 24 power transformers. Three transformers totally 510MVA (408MW) have been delivered to 3 substations and installation is ongoing.
-TCN beefed up its store capacity with additional 16 power transformers which have all been delivered.”
The achievements, he said, were recorded under the leadership of Engr. (Dr.) Sule Ahmed Abdulaziz, the MD/CEO of the company whose leadership has recorded notable progress in project delivery and launched an ambitious digital transformation initiative.”
Ajiboye added that the “Abuja ring projects are at different levels of completion (average of 90% completion):
-2x150MVA, 3x60MVA, 330/132/33kV Transmission Substation at New Apo (Pigba), the2x60MVA, 132/33kV Transmission Substation Wumba-Lokogoma and the 2x150MVA, 3x60MVA, 330/132/33kV Lugbe West Main Substastion (hybrid substation), the 3x60MVA, 132/33kV Kuje Transmission Substation, the 2x60MVA, 132/33kV, Gas Insulated Substation, Gwarinpa (already commissioned in August 2022), the 5km 132kV underground XLPE Cable from New Apo Substation to Wumba-Lokogoma Substation by Donor Agency-AFD (Agence Française de Dèveloppement).
“Our wheeling capacity has grown from 5,000MW in 2015 to over 8,100MW today, thanks to strategic investments and donor-supported projects like the World Bank-funded Nigeria Electricity Transmission Project (NETAP).”
The TCN Executive Director noted that as part of regional interconnection of electricity, “we have strengthened cross-border transmission links with neighbouring countries, reinforcing Nigeria’s role as a regional energy hub under the West African Power Pool (WAPP). The recent test run on synchronisation of the Nigerian grid with WAPP member countries is a testament to that effect.”
On Automation and SCADA Deployment, TCN said: “We have commenced the deployment of a modern Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system to enhance real-time monitoring and control of the grid, improving reliability and reducing downtime.”
TCN said it pays great attention to human capital development hence it has invested in the training over 1,000 technical staff in the past two years, “ensuring that our workforce is equipped to manage the evolving demands of a modern transmission network.”
In a brief detailing its activities, TCN said it “has successfully completed several substations, initiated the re-conductoring of aging and low-capacity transmission lines, replaced aged transformers with new ones, and upgraded the capacities of existing transformers. In addition, multiple system generation peaks were recorded, including an all-time peak of 5,802 MW. Remarkably, for a period spanning 421 days from 20th July in 2022 to 13th of September, 2023, the national grid did not experience any collapse.
“To enhance efficiency and effectiveness, TCN embraced digital transformation through the utilization of internal solutions and vendor-procured applications. Prior to the unbundling of TCN this year, this transformation encompassed the upgrade of the TCN web portal, NSONG, to achieve transparency and facilitate the exchange of information critical to market operations.
“To address the crucial need for grid visibility, TCN engineers developed an in-house solution leveraging the “Internet of Things” (IoT) to obtain near real-time data from generators and substations. This was also done before the unbundling of TCN. The solution significantly improved grid visibility, with all generators and a substantial number of substations becoming visible to the Grid Controllers at the National Control Centre (NCC).”
