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TCN builds capacity to transmit over 20,000MW by 2021  

By Clement Nwoji, Abuja
20 December 2017   |   4:20 am
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has assured that through the implementation of  its ongoing Transmission Rehabilitation and Expansion Programme...

PHOTO :Iwin.org.ng

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The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has assured that through the implementation of  its ongoing Transmission Rehabilitation and Expansion Programme (TREP), power wheeled to the grid will be expanded to at least 20,000 MW within the next four years.

TREP which is the TCN programme of actions targeted rehabilitation, replacement of outdated infrastructure to expand its transmission capacities, have attracted financing for several projects from donor agencies.

Already, EU has pledged to provide €25 million grant to support TCN on solar Integrated Power Programme’s (lPP’s) evaluation.

The TCN Interim Managing Director, Usman Gur Mohammed, while giving update on the implementation of transmission programme, said that several projects across the country were at various stages of commissioning between now and January 31, 2018 which is expected to add more than 1,000 MW to the current peak of 5,155.9 MW.

Further, he said that the Nigerian Electricity Transmission Access Project (NETAP) which is one of the projects under the TREP had successfully been negotiated and finalised with the World Bank on December 8, 2017.

He said: “TCN has within the year, entered into collaboration with several partners aimed at repositioning it for better service delivery; the Agip/NNPC joint venture in respect of towers 94 & 98 on Okpai-Onitsha DC Line, provision of GIS for TCN, collaboration with japan Government on capacitor banks in Apo and Keffi substations and the rehabilitation of Apapa, Akangba and 15010 substations. Discussions are on-going with Government of Japan, to rehabilitate Ikeja West and Ota substations.

“Our engineers have been marvelous in installing several transformers in our substations scattered all over the country.

Such installations were accomplished at less than 10 percent of the cost hitherto paid to contractors and we have successfully installed over 10 transformers in Bauchi, Funtua, Ejigbo. Ajah, Gombe. Aba, Umuahia, Auchi, Damboa, Zaria etc; saving several millions of Naira in the process.

“TCN has within the period resolved several challenging and slow implementing contracts. Examples of such contracts include: Kukwaba substation, Katsina-Daura line, Yawuri, Kafanchan, Mbalano-Ohafia-Umuahia,Nnewi, Onitsha, Maiduguri substations. Mando-Kudenda 330kV Transmission line and several substations.”

While conducting Journalists round transmission substations located at Katampe and Apo in Federal Capital Territory, Abuja as well as in Suleja, Niger State, the TCN Assistant General Manager (Transmission), Suleiman Mahmoud, noted that some transformers were replaced which led to recovery more Mega Watts and thereby boosting the transmission capacity of TCN.

He said the challenge now is for the power Distribution Companies (DisCos) to expand their distribution network and infrastructure to be able to take up the transmitted load for the citizens to have electricity.

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