March 29, 2024

DisCos reject 4,219.31MW of electricity in one week

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DisCos reject 4,219.31MW of electricity in one week

DisCos reject 4,219.31MW of electricity in one week

Solomon Ezeme

… as Ikeja and Kaduna DisCos top rejection list

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), has revealed that the electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) of Nigeria wasted a total of 4,219.31 Mega Watts(MW) of electricity between May 17 and May 23, 2021.

This was contained in recent data obtained by EnergyDay Nigeria from TCN. 

The latest figure shows a widespread increase in the loss recorded by all the 11 DisCos, especially when compared with the total rejected load of 3,778.93 MW recorded in the 2nd week of May (May 10- 16) earlier published by EnergyDay.

Kaduna Electricity for the first time joined the list of top distribution companies, known for  wasting a bulk of electricity allocated to them by the TCN.

The Kaduna incident was attributed to  industrial action of the Nigerian Labour Congress(NLC) in that state, which lasted for a week.

Meanwhile, Ikeja Electric still maintains its lead as the top energy waster for the period under review.

The TCN in the said report, showed improvement in the quantity of electricity wheeled to DisCos’ network.  

Analysis by the EnergyDay Research Team (EDRT) on the Daily DisCos Load Summary (for 2nd and 3rd weeks of May,2021), reveals that TCN allocated more electricity to DisCos in the 3rd week of May as against the 2nd week of same month.

The quantity of electricity wheeled by TCN in the period under reviewed increased by 7.8 percent from 3,745.17 Daily Average in the 2nd week to 4,037.45 MW Daily Average, in the 3rd week.

In the 3rd week, the DisCos were only able to distribute just 24,042 MW of electricity out of the total 28, 262.16 MW of the MYTO (Multi-Year Tariff Order) allocated to them by TCN.

Whereas DisCos in the 2nd week of May,  distributed  total of 22,437.26 MW out of the total 26,216.19 MW of the MYTO (Multi-Year Tariff Order) allocated to their network by TCN.

This shows a difference of about 11.7 per cent from 3, 778.93 MW in second week of May, when compared with the rejected 4,219.31 MW, in the third week .

Ikeja Electric (I.E), second time in a row, tops the list with 602.17 MW and 646.41 MW rejected in the 2nd and 3rd weeks, respectively.

The Kaduna DisCo, which has always maintained a relatively good record of electricity distribution to its customers, rejected a total of 605.60 MW, in the 3rd week. In the previous week, its total rejected load was only 258.94 MW.

The recent strike action embarked upon, by the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) in Kaduna, accounts for the 133.88 % increase in its rejected load.

In a statement titled, ‘power failure due to NLC’s industrial action,’ Abdulazeez Abdullahi, Head, Corporate Communication of Kaduna Electric, disclosed that the TCN knocked off 33KV lines in Kaduna due to the strike action.

Abdulazeez Abdullahi said, “The Management of Kaduna Electric regrets to inform its customers in Kaduna State that the service interruption currently being experienced in the State is as a result of the industrial action embarked upon by the Nigerian Labour Congress.

“In compliance with the NLC directive, the Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN has knocked off all our 33KV lines in Kaduna State.”

The Enugu DisCo, which rejected only 291.45 MW in week 2, recorded 479.90 MW total rejected load in week 3, about 50 % increase. Benin DisCo increased its rejected load from 98.98 MW in week 2, to 166.93 MW, in third week.

Kano, Jos and Ibadan DisCos rejected 324.99 MW, 414.10 MW, 555.00 MW, respectively, in week 3. They had earlier rejected 465.86 MW, 258.94 MW and 501.27 MW respectively, in week 2.

Abuja and Yola DisCos recorded a minimal load rejection of 130.75 MW and 144.43 MW respectively in the 3rd week. There is, however, an upward movement in Abuja DisCos’ load rejection as it rejected just 14.25 MW, in 2nd week.

Yola DisCo’s total rejected load dropped from 201.48 MW in the 2nd week, to 144.43 MW, in the 3rd week.

A sum total of 54, 478.35 MW (26,216.19 MW + 28,262.16 MW) of electricity was wheeled to the 11 DisCos by TCN in 2 weeks, May 10 – 16, 2021. A combined total of 7,998.24 MW (3,778.93 MW + 4,219.31 MW) was rejected

The Discos, in their Q2 (2020) report, revealed that, beside inconsistent improvements caused by seasonal changes, the electricity supplied to them by TCN, remains largely poor.

Professor Wumi Iledare, Ghana National Petroleum Corporation, GNPC,  has disclosed that the the electricity distribution companies have refused to show seriousness in evacuating power transmitted to their network.   
 
According to him, it is quite unfair that these companies have been  unable to solve obvious problems that are hindering  the attainment of national potential.  He warned that the actions of the DisCos leaves much to be desired. Mr. Felix Ofulue, Head of Corporate Communication, Ikeja Electric,  when contacted for his reaction, did  not respond to calls made to his official line.

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