TCN to boost transmission capacity to 10,000MW this year

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), yesterday, in Abuja, said electricity wheeling capacity in the country will hit 10,000 megawatts (MW) by year end.

With the development, seven critical transmission lines including Onitsha-Awka-Oji River; Ikeja West-Alimosho-Ogba-Ota; Alimosho-Alausa; Kaduna-Zaria-Funtua-Gusau; Birnin Kebbi-Sokoto, Aba-Itu; and Kumbotso-DanAgundi 132kV would be restructured.

Managing Director of TCN, Usman Gur Mohammed, who disclosed this, said: “By doing that, we are going to recover between 2,000 and 3,000MW, which means the grid, will shift from 8,100MW to at least 10,000MW.”He restated commitment to address infrastructure deficit in the power sector, insisting that there was a need for commensurate level of investment from electricity distribution companies.

Mohammed disclosed  that the pact had been signed, adding that the company equally  recovered 775 power equipment containers out of 800 abandoned at the ports over tariff challenges.He said high capacity conductor that could carry more bulk power capacity on the same transmission line, otherwise called quad conductor had already been procured to fast track the 10,000MW target.

Mohammed said: “The conductors, which we procure are lighter than the current conductors, and can carry two and half times more power. Half of these conductors are arriving Nigeria on the 27th of this month.”Speaking on donations hovering around $1.6 billion, which have been secured by TCN, Mohammed said: “As at today, the amount we have raised from multilateral donors has risen to $1.661 billion to execute some power projects in the country.

“These projects include the Abuja Wheeling Scheme that will bring five substations and bring a new supply route to the territory.“The new route will be from Lafia to Abuja with 330 Kilo Volt (KV) line and two 330KV sub-stations in Abuja and put addition three numbers 132 KV sub-stations in the territory.”Speaking on recent national grid collapse and some challenges in Benin, Edo State, and Apo, Abuja, Mohammed said TCN is looking beyond the problem to having a stable grid.