TCN’s power transmission capacity hits 7000mw, says Fashola

• Ogun, firms sign pact for 286mw
Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola yesterday said that the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) had improved its capacity to transmit electricity from 5,000mw to 7,000mw.

Fashola made the disclosure in Abuja at the presentation of a 20-year transmission master plan by the Fitchner of Germany. He described the event as a milestone in the journey to uninterrupted power supply in the country.

The development may lead to improvement in electricity supply as more power generated by the Gencos but became stranded due to poor transmission capacity will now be distributed for use by consumers.

The minister said President Muhammadu Buhari gave the ministry and TCN a mandate to improve capacity to deliver services to the power generation and distribution companies. He described the mater plan as a vision of what the power sector would look like in the next 20 years.

The Interim Managing Director of TCN, Mohammed Usman, said the master plan was conceived in 2009.

Meanwhile, the Ogun State government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with eight selected independent power providers to generate 286 megawatts.

The projects, christened ‘Light Up’ with total cost of $476.6 million is to be fully financed by the selected companies.

Earl Grey Nigeria Ltd, situated in Ogijo in Sagamu Local Government Area of the state is to generate 8mw from natural gas; Gateway Solar Power Int’l Nig Ltd will generate 125mw in Agbara area; Naanovo Energy Nigeria Ltd is to generate 5mw in Abeokuta via waste energy and Nikenando Energy Ltd will deliver 5-20mw in Oke-Mosan area.

Others are Renaissance Impex Energy to power model schools in Ikenne, Ago-Iwoye and Ewekoro with 8mw of solar power; Sholep Energy to light the newly established Ogun State Polytechnic in Ipokia with 5mw of solar power; Solonic Energy to generate 100mw while Tido Tech International is to power the federal airport in Wasimi with 5mw of solar power.
At the official signing of the pact at the Oke-Mosan Governor’s Office, the consultant on energy to the governor, Akinsanya Fagbemi said the idea of the projects “is to end the agony of epileptic power supply in the state.”