TCN plans facelift to address inherent bottlenecks

The Acting Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Dr. Sule Ahmed Abdulaziz has said the organisation is considering a facelift of its facilities across the country to address prevailing challenges.

Abdulaziz disclosed that efforts are being made to strategically transform TCN through the upgrade of facilities, prompt maintenance, rehabilitation, grid expansion, and manpower development.

Speaking during the commissioning of a new regional office in Port Harcourt, the MD said the company’s move is in addition to focusing on the technical/operational aspects of the company.

He revealed that the commissioned office project was part of efforts to upgrade TCN facilities in the region, adding that the move was initiated 11 years ago and passed through about four Managing Directors/CEOs before being finally fast- tracked in the last one year.

Abdulaziz said that the completion of the project within a short time is a demonstration of the commitment of the present management team towards ensuring that all TCN staff are given the support and enabling environment that they deserve. He tasked them to continue to work hard as a team.

According to him, the company’s strategic plan includes paying attention to human capacity development even as TCN continues to implement its grid expansion program.

Also speaking at the event, the Executive Director, Transmission Service Provider (TSP) at TCN, Victor Adewumi stated that TCN is rehabilitating several substations and completing ongoing ones to improve grid capacity.

Within the Port Harcourt region, he said, TCN is rehabilitating about ten substations, most of which are being executed under the World Bank-financed projects.

Under the Siemens intervention project, he said, the Rumosi and Elemewon Substations will be rehabilitated, a GIS substation built, and several power transformers will be installed in different substations.

He said the region is sandwiched between eight power generating stations, saying that no other region in this country has such a high number of power stations.

He commended the ability of the region to efficiently evacuate power to the national grid despite the challenges they face as a result of the concentration of the power stations within the region.