TCN: We’ve implemented new technology to enhance the performance of the national grid

“This preparation is coming at a time when Nigerian power operators are gearing up to take part in electricity export as soon as the Regional Electricity Market (REM) of the West African Power Pool (WAPP) is launched,” he said.

Abdulaziz, who is also the Chairman, Executive Board of WAPP, said Nigeria, through TCN, had been exporting electricity to Niger, Benin and Togo under a country-to-country arrangement.

He said that the regional market would further enable GenCos to export power to more West African countries which will be evacuated by TCN transmission infrastructure.

He said that through this exportation of power, the Federal Government could earn more foreign exchange from that for national development comment on the TCN’s remapping of its investments in the power sector.

The General Manager, NCC, Balarabe Abdullahi, said that with the stop gap solution, TCN can now access some stations and substations that were not captured in the last SCADA World Bank Project of 2004 on real time.

“Today, with TCN’s stop-gap solution the grid operators can monitor a wider part of the grid. This is making grid operations and management a lot easier,” he said.

Mr Michael Okoh, Convener of the Nigerian Power Consumers Forum (NPCF), said only such critical power transmission grid investments, backed by a matching strength at the DisCos’ end can bring succor to power consumers.

Okoh said in analysing the feat, said the stop-gap solution has been existing in some countries like Benin Republic, and that it was better than late for Nigeria.

“This has been long overdue, because if the grid or system operator does not have comprehensive operational data of the entire power grid, it is difficult to manage the fast-growing system.

“The existing inadequate SCADA System cannot provide adequate grid visibility and we know that the SCADA system is not yet ready.

”I commend the management of TCN led by Abdulaziz for this innovative move. It shows that the current crop of TCN managers is actually thinking well to improve services,” he said.

Okoh also called on the DisCos and other actors in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) to take similar actions that have collective impacts on the national grid.

According to him, what consumers need is adequate power supply and they will pay the right tariff.

”We also call on the DisCos to match this technology, so that faults can easily be cleared and service delivery optimised.”