Nigerian Power Minister in Chad to seal electricity supply deal
Oredola Adeola
The Honourable Minister of Power, Engr. Sale Mamman on Thursday led a delegation of Ministry officials, executives of the Transmission Company of Nigeria(TCN), and the management of Mainstream Energy to a high- level meeting in N’Djamena, Chad, to perfect plans by the Federal Government to supply electricity to the people of Republic of Chad following a recent request by the French- speaking neighbouring country.
The Nigerian delegation was received on arrival by the Chadian Minister of Petroleum & Energy, Oumar Torbo, on the agenda is a discussion of the Electricity Network Interconnection project between the two countries.
Total power generation in the country as at Thurday August, 26, 2021, was 4,825.09 MW according to data obtained from the Nigerian Electricity System Operator.
Out of twenty-seven plants currently connected to the national grid, EnergyDay findings reveal that Geregu II, Sapele II, Alaoji, Olorunsogo II, Omotosho II, Ihovbor, Gbarain, Ibom Power, AES, ASCO and Trans-Amadi are currently idle.
The country has installed grid power generation capacity of 13,000 MW as of 2021, while the distribution system has the capacity to evacuate 5,500 MW.
Recall that the country currently exports electricity to three neighbouring countries, namely Republics of Niger, Benin and Togo.
EnergyDay gathered that the network interconnection is expected to increase access to electricity in N’Djamena, the capital city of Chad, since energy services in that country are among the lowest in the world.
According to a statement obtained by EnergyDay from the office of the Minister, the visit was in line with positioning Nigeria as a strategic leader within the West African Electricity Market , and also a source of significant income for the country.
The Minister had earlier instructed TCN, to come up with a business plan and implementation modalities which would be communicated to the Presidency for necessary approval.
According to the Minister, “With the abundant gas resources in Nigeria, and efforts by the present administration to strengthen the Power Sector as well as improve the ease of doing business in the country, Nigeria has the potential to generate and export electricity at very low cost to the sub-region.”
He said, “Nigeria has bilateral contracts for supplying electricity to Niger Republic and Benin Republic which have been ongoing for decades and that under the West African Power Pool (WAPP), a 875 kilometres 330 kV power transmission line would be built under the North Core Transmission Line Project to interconnect four countries in the West African sub-region.
The TCN had earlier in October 2020 met with the Chadian former Minister of Energy, Mrs Ramatou Mahamat Houtouin to discuss the possibilities of connecting the Republic of Chad to the Nigerian national grid.
It formally requested the government to connect them to the Nigerian electricity grid in order to ease the burden of power supply in the country.
