TCN frustrating power sector, says Discos

The electricity distribution companies (Discos) have accused the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) of frustrating the power sector, saying that the national grid, under the TCN, can carry only 4,557 megawatts (mw).

Speaking in Abuja, Sunday Oduntan, the executive director of Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors (ANED), suggested that the transmission network needs to be expanded to carry more load.

According to him, the generation firms have the potential to generate more power but the national grid cannot carry more than 4,557mw.

He said that the discos could distribute a maximum of 6,288mw but they were constrained to do so because the grid has very low capacity.

“Generation has the potential to get to 7,000mw. When you talk about generation, you have to talk about generation, transmission and distribution. I am saying that the discos can distribute a maximum of 6,288mw. But the highest the transmission company has done is 4,557mw. So, if the generation companies say that they can do 50,000mw, how can it get to the point of distribution? That is the point you need to understand. This is not an indictment on anybody. We are saying that they (TCN) are not doing enough. We need to expand the transmission network. The national grid cannot carry more than that ,” he said.

Oduntan said that even on February 7, 2016 when generation peaked at 5,074mw, TCN was able to will only 4,557mw.

“On February 7, 2016, generation was 5,074 megawatts. TCN was able to will only 4,000mw out of that. The point I am making is that TCN was not able to will what had been generated and had had generation peak of 5,074mw, 5,222mw and the highest peak of 5,375 mw. Of all these, the transmission company was not able to will that. The highest they have ever willed was 4,557 mw,” he said.