TCN loses 9,553.58MW, after wheeling 17,323MW to DisCos in 6days  

Samuel Agbelusi

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has been unable to account for 9,553.58 MegaWatts(MW), representing 35.6 percent of  26,876.58MW received from power generation company (GenCos) in six (6) days, after wheeling about 17,323 MW of electricity to the eleven (11) distribution company (DisCos), in the period under review.

This was contained in the analysis of the data EnergyDay obtained from  Nigeria’s power System Operator via its website from Friday, August 12 to Wednesday, August 17, 2022, being the period under review.

The figure showed that DisCos received significantly less than the quantum of electricity received by the TCN from the GenCos in the period under review. The quantum of electricity unaccounted for by TCN in the period under review represents the power lost within the transmission network due to some technical issues and other common phenomena.

Based on the data obtained by EnergyDay, as of Friday, August 12, 2022, the TCN received 4,289.90 MW from the power generation company (GenCos) and transmitted only 3,180MW to the DisCos, The figure showed that about  1,109.90MW equivalent to 25.8% was unaccounted within the transmission network.

The breakdown of the transmission of power from the national grid to the DisCos for that say showed that Abuja DisCo received the highest with 434.00MW and Yola DisCo got the lowest with 95.00(MW).

Quantum of electricity received by others includes Benin Disco(274MW) Eko  (410MW) Enugu (301MW) Ikeja Disco (427MW) Ibadan  (401MW) Jos (187MW) Kaduna (208MW) Kano  (210MW) and Port-Harcourt (233MW).

Meanwhile, on Saturday, August 13, the TCN received 4,136MW from the GenCos, as it managed to transmit 3,345MW to the distribution network after it was unable to wheel  791MW (19.1%) of the power generated on that day to the DisCos.

The data for that day showed that Ikeja received the highest with 477.00MW and Yola received the lowest with 96.00(MW). Others are Benin (276MW) Eko(415MW), Enugu (322MW), Abuja (453MW), Ibadan (407MW), Jos (193MW), Kaduna (225MW), Kano (238MW) and Port-Harcourt (243MW).

The Sunday figure showed that the DisCos 3,444MW from the TCN, after receiving  4,104.40MW GenCos for the day. It, therefore, was unable to transmit about 660MW representing  16% of the power it obtained from GenCos.

The figure for the day showed that Ikeja Electric received the highest transmission with 479MW with Yola still retaining the lowest rank having received 97MW.

The breakdown for the day showed that Benin Disco received 298MW, as others including Eko Electric got 417MW, Enugu (324MW), Abuja  (455MW), Ibadan  (439MW), Jos (194 MW), Kaduna (256MW), Kano  (240MW) and Port-Harcourt  (245MW)

The DisCos received on Monday, received 3,467MW, despite 4,688MW wheeled by GenCos into the transmission network. This, therefore, showed that about 1,221MW, representing  26%  of the power generated for the day, was unutilized. This figure is about the highest technical losses recorded in the period under review.

Abuja Disco on that day had 474MW, while Yola remained at the bottom end after receiving about 103MW. Others are Benin (299MW), Eko (439MW), Enugu(329MW), Ikeja (467MW), Ibadan  (439MW), Jos  (204MW), Kaduna (228MW), Kano (230MW) and Port-Harcourt (255MW)

Also, on Tuesday, August 16, TCN transmitted 3,887MW into the distribution network, after it received  4,829MW. This figure showed a deficit of 942MW, representing 19.5% of which was lost or unutilized within the transmission network.

The breakdown for the day showed that Abuja Disco received the highest with 534MW, and Yola also received 116MW, being the lowest. Others are Benin (337MW), Eko (481MW), Enugu with (370MW), Ikeja (525MW) Ibadan (493MW), Jos (230MW), Kaduna (256MW), Kano (258MW) and Port-Harcourt(287MW).

On Wednesday, August 17, TCN lost a total of 4,829.50 MW that it received from GenCos. The reason for this was due to the industrial action embarked upon by TCN staff under the aegis of the National Union of Electricity Employees(NUEE) who shut down substations across the country in response to the strike.

The analysis by EnergyDay for the period under review, therefore, showed that 0MW, being the lowest wheeled to the DisCos, was recorded on Wednesday, while the highest was attained on Tuesday with 3,887MW.

A summary of the data gathered within the period under review showed that despite the improvement in the quantum of electricity being generated into the national grid, a significant portion of the power could not be distributed to  DisCos, due to inefficient transmission infrastructure, which remained a critical challenge facing the entire electricity value chain.

Ndidi Mbah, the TCN spokesperson, was not responding to text messages and calls by our correspondent seeking her comments on the latest development.

Meanwhile, TCN had in a recent statement revealed that loss being recorded within the network was a result of inadequate facilities, vandalism, and lack of transmission infrastructure.

EnergyDay recalled that the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) had recently initiated a contract-based Nigerian Electricity Supply Market to achieve a 5,000 Megawatts target from July 1, 2022.

Mbah in a recent statement on the backdrop of the industrial dispute declared by the two in-house Unions at the TCN, which led to the shutdown of major substations across the country revealed that the transmission company working in tandem with the initiative of the NERC on Partial Activation of Contracts – coupled with the stream of interventions by the Ministry of Power and other stakeholders in the Value Chain – grid generation (at Peak) had reached 4,830.69MW on Wednesday, August 16, 2022.