‘Alignment of TCN, GenCos, DisCos critical for improved power supply’

The Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors (ANED) says it support the calls for effective coordination and alignment of all electricity equipment improvement projects being executed by three stakeholders for attainment of nation’s electricity goals.
Its Executive Director, Mr Sunday Oduntan, made the assertion on Wednesday in a statement in Abuja.
Oduntan spoke on the backdrop of the recently concluded Public Hearing by the Senate Committee on Power.
He said DisCos were also in support of projects executed by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), the Generation Companies (GenCos) and the Distribution Companies (DisCos) as it would be a key success factor toward the goals.
According to him, at present, lack of coordination in the power sector had hampered the efforts of the sector toward improving power supply to Nigerians.
“There are cases where the DisCos are not carried along in the transmission expansion project of TCN, even when the DisCos are the ones relating directly with electricity consumers and know where they require power supply the most.
“TCN is building a series of transmission facilities, but they are not in good proximity to the load distribution centres of the DisCos.
“The farther the transmission facility is to the load distribution centre, the higher the losses, and the more the bill for the consumers.
“This is a concern for us and we want the Federal Government to intervene and ensure that there is coordination of the expansion project.
“This will be of more impact to the Nigerian electricity consumers,” he said.
Oduntan quoted the Minister of Power, Mr Sale Mamman, as saying recently that he was ensuring effective coordination of all agencies and value-chain of the power sector.
According to him, Mamman said that this was toward realising the 7,000 Mega Watts (MW) national grid distribution capacity through the first phase of the Siemens deal.
Oduntan said that similarly, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Power, Senator Gabriel Suswam, had also reiterated the call for coordination of TCN, GenCos and the DisCos, being the value chain of the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI).
He quoted Suswam saying, “Once there is alignment and proper coordination of the sector, that if we generate 13,000 megawatts (MW) and transmission can take 10,000MW and DisCos are able to absolve that and there is proper tariff, it makes the sector solvent.
“The sector becomes liquid, and so, once there is money in the sector, other potential investors will come in and the banks will be able to put in more money.”