The recurring blame trading between the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) and the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) on load and feeder tripping could worsen grid collapse concerns, experts warn.
The TCN and the AEDC have failed to take absolute blame on the recent load dropping and stripping witnessed last week in Abuja, Nassarawa and other AEDC’s areas of franchise, a situation that puts intense pressure on the national grid with possible collapse.
Chuks Nwani, an Energy Lawyer and power sector governance expert, told BusinessDay in response to this development that “this is an area that I expect the Ministry of Power to wade in and invoke the Electricity Power Sector Reform Act and ensure TCN doesn’t play the role of the market and systems operator.”
According to Nwani,”the Electricity Power Sector Reform Act, 2005 made case for balkanization of the TCN into market operator and system operator as provided by the act. This is the time for the minister of power, Mamman Sale, to enforce that directive such that each plays its role effectively to avoid trading of blame.
“Systems operator controls systems frequency and also controls allocations. It is automated, monitors and tracks the fault through SCADA controls. Market operator is supposed to be directing the market. Both roles are controlled by TCN and it is not efficient for the sector. The minister needs to come in and solve this problem,”Nwani said.
Nigeria is notorious for recording recurring grid collapse, putting the low performing electricity infrastructure under intense pressure.
TCN, it would be recalled, had restated the need for Discos recapitalization, raising concerns about sudden load tripping which has been a seasonal reoccurrence.
TCN in its recent statement by Suleiman Mahmud, Acting General Manager, Transmission, in Abuja said: “It is high time AEDC did the needful on the issue of frequent tripping on their 33KV feeders as well as reducing the number of point loads. Massive load rejection by Abuja Disco anytime there is rainfall or very high voltage leads to failure of major equipment.”
But the AEDC had also admitted that some of its feeders tripped on April 25 as the rain began, noting however that one principal factor aiding the tripping of a feeder voltage level was the relay setting of such feeders.
AEDC in a clarification statement issued by the management and sent to BusinessDay by Oyebode Fadipe, its spokesperson, said, that “admittedly, some AEDC 33KV feeders tripped on April 25 as the rain began. This is certainly not our desire as such interruptions would have impinged on the comfort of our
“However, one principal factor that aids the tripping of a feeder at any voltage level is the relay setting of such feeders.
For a very long time,” TCN has resisted a coordination of the setting of their relays in such a way that it will allow for professionally determined tolerance level; the tolerance level has been resisted till now.”
Emeka Okukpara, Partner at NEXIER power dialogue said the reforms of the government must also look at realignment of various power sector value chain to solve the reoccurring challenges confronting the power sector; “we are suggesting clear cut enforcement of penalty where such directive applies,” he said.
