Despite $1.6bn, TCN inefficient with 5,300 power disruptions – ANED

The Distribution Companies (DisCos) have flayed the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) analogue system that caused 5,311 interface disruptions in one DisCo within 18 days of September, despite a $1.6 billion TCN funding.

The Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors (ANED) which represents 10 DisCos, in a statement on Monday, also said even with the TCN multilateral funding, its poor equipment caused over 100 electricity grid collapses since privatization in 2013, and nine collapses this year.

The statement by the Executive Director, Research and Advocacy, Chief Sunday Oduntan, said it was responding to a recent TCN report that the DisCos misrepresented crucial power evacuation and distribution data.

Presenting the facts, ANED said the 10 DisCos have invested $1.4 billion in the networks, insisting that the DisCos had not rejected energy load as TCN claimed in its publication.

ANED also accused TCN of falsifying data that conflicts the data presented to DisCos by the National Control Centre (NCC) which is under TCN and coordinates power allocation to DisCos.

While TCN headquarter data published on September 20th, 2019, shows 13,963 megawatts (MW) of energy was delivered to DisCos between August 22nd and 24th of 2019, the NCC data actually shows it was 19,173MW. ANED said that indicated a conflicting difference of 5,208MW data within the same company.

“It raises questions as to the veracity and accuracy of TCN’s response, in terms of the energy that it delivered to the DisCos.

“How could TCN’s supposed sent-out or delivered energy exceed that recorded by its control centre, the singular source for such information,” ANED said.

While urging TCN to focus on improving its network, the DisCos said except for February 1st, 2016, when TCN wheeled 4,557MW, it has never wheeled sufficient energy to meet the DisCo energy off-take assumptions specified under Multi Year Tariff Order (MYTO) 2015.

ANED said despite TCN saying it is implementing its Transmission Rehabilitation Expansion Programme (TREP) with the $1.6bn fund, “the reality is otherwise. TCN finds it difficult to move away from analogue-based and informal communications systems and frequent explosions and burnings of transmission sub-stations and transformers.”

The DisCos said such substation fire recently put Agbor and Asaba towns of Delta state; and Oye, Ekiti state in blackout.

“Over a hundred partial and total system collapses recorded since privatisation and nine total system collapses so far this year; multiple transmission interface deficiencies with 5,311 TCN interface interruptions in one DisCo franchise area, from September 1 – 18, 2019.”

Citing Siemens “Electrification Roadmap for Nigeria” report of May 7th, 2019, Oduntan said, “Today, power distribution by the Discos to end-customers is limited by power infeed from TCN.”