AEDC and Aquivis Technologies Limited, a leading company in Africa’s energy sector have announced the deployment of a smart high-tension overhead line fault circuit locator in Nigeria, a step which is key in ensuring grid and feeder management and stability, while enabling easier fault detection.
This smart grid outage management solution deployed for the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC), the first of its kind in Nigeria is a pilot for AEDC. It seeks to address the long time it takes to repair faulty high-tension circuits and prolonged outages such as the 11KV and 33KV overhead feeders.
The solution, it would be noted has been deployed in countries like United States of America, Canada, United Kingdom and Scotland, United Arab Emirates as well as South Africa.
Industry players said the solution could not have come at a better time than now in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) when customers are becoming increasingly concerned about the service delivery in the sector, especially in the area of feeder-grid management, Outages trigger the loss of power supply to numerous customers of different categories including homes, offices, medical and educational facilities which are just beginning to recover from the debilitating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Oyebode Fadipe, the General Manager corporate communications in AEDC in a statement late Wednesday said this step has demonstrated the company’s continued commitment to the reinforcement of its distribution network and the improvement of its services to customers.
The engagement of Aquivis to deploy the high-tension faults clearing solution, he said forms part of AEDC’s initiative to reduce its Aggregate Technical Commercial and Collection (ATC&C) losses as well as improve network reliability of the 11kV and 33kV overhead feeders as well customers’ satisfaction.
The statement disclosed further that the deployment of the solution by AEDC is part of its network reinforcement programme. The deployment of the real-time overhead fault detection monitoring solution has brought about improved network visibility, reliability and operational efficiency in AEDC, it said.
Managing Director of AEDC, Ernest Mupwaya, confirmed in the statement that the successful implementation of the smart overhead fault detection monitoring solution by Aquivis Technologies Limited has enabled AEDC to address the operational challenges of incessant tripping, fault detection and prolonged outages on both the 11KV and 33KV feeder infrastructures where it was deployed in the Company’s network.
Speaking further, Mupwaya disclosed that the detection solution would substantially reduce the time required to repair faulty lines and also reduce operational expenses; improve network reliability and operational efficiency; provide safer work environment for line crew and ultimately better customer satisfaction.
With the completion of the first phase of the project, AEDC would be extending this deployment to other parts of its network to achieve increased level of distribution automation. This will bring about clear grid visibility and a platform for the improvement of operational efficiency and service to AEDC’s esteemed customers.
On his part, Aquivis Managing Director/CEO – Jimi Kolawole, disclosed that “our Smart Grid Management solutions addresses the technical and commercial challenges currently plaguing distribution link of the Nigerian power sector as well as creates a ubiquitous, dedicated and highly reliable machine-to-machine communication network where all our solutions can leverage upon”.
“AEDC”, Kolawole said, “was looking for real-time monitoring solution with a two-way communication that will not only improve the company’s ability to monitor remotely, but also the ability to perform remote interventions.
“Together with our partner, Trilliant UK, we carefully reviewed their requirements and selected our award-winning communication platform, the wireless secured Mesh AMI platform to achieve the two-way machine-to-machine communication objective”.
Kolawole disclosed further that with this solution, AEDC will quickly and easily identify and resolve faults, resulting in more efficient operation and safer conditions for line crew; monitor feeder status in near real-time, prevent unscheduled downtime and safety risk; increase meter uptime; improve reporting to regulators; capture and analyse critical distribution data to further enhance reliability and efficiencies and quicker integration of other smart grid solutions (like AMI smart metering) on the back of the established communication network. Our award-winning communication platform remains the best choice for smart metering (AMI), smart Grid and Smart Cities.
