Abuja airport set for improved power as TCN commissions 100MVA, 132/33KV substation

The Nnamdi Azikiwe international Airport and some other cities in the federal capital territory are set for improved power supply, following the commissioning of 100 Mega Volt Amp (MVA) , 132/33kiloVolt (kV) Transformer at Katampe substation by the Transmission company of Nigeria (TCN).

The other cities in city capital expected to experience remarkable improvement on the heels of the new power projet include Life Camp, Jabi, Wuye, Maitama, Mpape, Apo resettlement, Wumba, Gudu, and Guzampe.

Other beneficiary cities include Mabushi, Garki, Jahi, Katampe I and II, Lugbe, Apo Mechanic Village and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport.

By this commissioning, the international airport will have additional transformer to operate on if therevis any break down in transmission since the installation capacity of the substation has been raised from 120MVA to 220MVA.

Speaking at the commissioning event, the minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola represented by the the minister of State in the same Ministry, Suleiman Hassan Zarma said that “the installation of the two 100MVA rack at Apo and Katampe will also increase the total wheeling capacity of TCN which was last simulated in the December 2017 to slightly above 7000MW.

He said “with this development, TCN has not only established adequate Transformer capacity to serve these parts of Abuja but has also provided the necessary redundancy in line with the requirements of N-1 reliability criterion at both Katampe and Apologize substations”.
“The capacity of the Katampe prior to this installation was 120MVA; with this installation, the capacity has been raised to 220MVA. Similarly, the Apo 132/33KV substation has been raised from 190MVA to 290MVA”.

The minister also pointed out that the TCN is also implementing the Abuja Transmission Scheme (ATS) financed by Agence Francaise De Development (AFA) adding that procurement process for the projects under the scheme has reached and advanced stage.

He also informed that five new substations and a third 330KV transmission line into Abuja in addition to Shiroro-Abuja and Ajaokuta-Abuja 330KV substations constructed as part of ATS with two of the new stations 330/132/33KV substations under ATS will be sited at the West Main (Lugbe) and New Apo, while the three new 132/33KV substations will be sited at Lokogoma, Kuje and Gwarimpa.

In his earlier remarks, the Managing Director of TCN, UG Mohammed, said that the commissioning would enable TCN wheel more bulk electricity to the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company.

The commissioning, the TCN Managing Director said has ensured that TCN are satisfied the redundancy requirement in line with N-1 reliability criterion at both Katampe and Apo Substations.

 

Harrison Edeh & Cynthia Egboboh, Abuja