TCN transmission line expansion to increase capacity to 20,000 megawatts

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) says its  current transmission expansion initiative  is designed to increase the nation’s grid transmission capacity to 20,000 mega watts in the next three years.
TCN’s Managing Director, Mr Usman Mohammed, disclosed this  at a meeting  in Abuja on the impact assessment study for the second Ikeja West 330kv transmission reinforcement project.
The meeting  between TCN and West Africa Power Pool (WAPP), was designed to kick start discussions on the study and completion of  the Ikeja West 330kv transmission line .
The line was designed to supply   electricity from Nigeria to Benin Republic and the  West Africa sub-region.
Mohammed said it was necessary to begin the discussion to complete the second  Ikeja West 330kv transmission line  given the  increase in demand for more power from the grid .
He also said that TCN had recorded some achievements in stabilising the grid, adding that  the stability had heightened  the prospect of the interconnection of Nigerian grid with that of neighbouring  countries.
According to Mohammed,  TCN is  no longer the weakest link in the power value chain.
He further said TCN  had been   accelerating  the implementation of several  transmission  projects with  support from the Federal Government  and  some  international donor agencies.
“TCN has come out with the expansion programme and some of the projects had gone far in their implementation.
“The transmission expansion line seeks to expand the grid to about 20,000 megawatts  capacity  in the next  three years .
“It is also intended to support the current  institutional  reform  that will make TCN a   21st  century compliant  transmission company,’’ he said.
He also  said that TCN had deployed  its  in-house capacity to install transformers all  over  the country .
“Last week,  we installed three transformers  in Lagos,  on Friday next week,  we will complete  the commissioning  of two transformers,  one in Zaria and another one in Funtua.
“In the next two weeks again, we are installing  three transformers  in Port Harcourt region and  they  will be installed  using in- house capacity  at  a cost of less than 10 per cent  of  what was used  with contractors,’’ he said.
He said TCN,   as the biggest contributor to WAPP, was interested  in  strengthening it  to  archive its objectives for the region.
“ TCN is supporting not only the network expansion  programme  but also institutional  reform  aimed  at repositioning  WAPP for its role in the region,’’ he said.
Mohammed said the Ikeja West 330kv transmission reinforcement project would be completed  by 2021.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Power, Mr  Loius Edozie,   said Ikeja West  330kv project was in line with Federal Government’s  commitment to developing  the electricity market in Nigeria and other countries in West Africa.
He said TCN’s achievements on network, frequency stability and  the development of  the West African Power Pool were all critical issues.
Edozie said given  the development in the power sector, Nigeria was disposed to wheeling more electricity to its international customers.
He, however, said that the primary obligation was to serve Nigerians first.
Edozie said it was necessary that all outstanding bills were paid immediately and payment mechanism put in place to ensure bills were  paid as  and when due.
He said that there was also the need to for the  distribution companies (DISCOs) to improve  their investment in order  to supply more electricity  to Nigerians.
“Generally, as DISCOs are making efforts to expand, TCN and Generation Companies (GenCos) are also expanding to stay ahead of the requirement,” he added.
Edozie said for the power supply chain to be sustained, the trading  arrangement must be respected and adhered to.
“For TCN, the only way it can continue to stay ahead financially is that the trading arrangements are viable.
“So  if WAPP and TCN builds the 2nd Ikeja  West 330kv DC and other WAPP back bones, they must be paid for wheeling the power promptly,“ he said.
He expressed optimism   that the meeting with TCN and  WAPP would  intensify  government’s  commitment to further  developing  the electricity market in Nigeria and  West Africa.
The Secretary-General of WAPP, Mr Slengui Ki,   thanked the  Federal Government and the Ministry of Power for its efforts to construct Ikeja West 330kv West African Power transmission  line.
He said that the completion and the interconnection of the line from Nigeria to Benin would provide more economic opportunities in the region.