Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) to add 4GW of wheeling capacity

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) announced this Tuesday that it is on course to add about 4,000 megawatts of wheeling capacity to the national power grid. According to TCN’s acting Managing Director, Sule Abdulaziz the company has acquired a new office for its Project Implementation Units (PIUs). The company has acquired new funding for grid expansion from development finance institutions (DFIs).

PIUs are specialised units of TCN that ensure critical transmission line and substation projects are delivered within specification, quality and timeframe.

TCN says the four project units within the programme are being financed by the World Bank (WB), Agence Française de Developpment (AFD), the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

TCN’s Project Implementation Units are in the process of implementing projects that will complement the performance of TCN’s 8,100MW grid capacity. The PIUs will promote efficiency in line with the objectives of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) to improve and increase efficiency of the grid.

Projects TCN will implement

The World Bank funded project unit will address a nationwide transmission upgrade, while over 30 power transformers will be affected during the substations’ upgrade. 30MVA transformers will be replaced with 60MVA and 100MVA depending on the planned capacity upgrade for the substation, while the 30MVA transformers that would be removed, would be installed in areas with lower electricity demand, to add to the capacity of the network.

The AfDB funded project unit, on the other hand, will strengthen the 330kV Alaoji (Abia State) to Onitsha (Anambra) transmission line which currently transmit only 400MW of power with capacity expected to increase to 1,200MW after “reconductoring” which is three times the current capacity. AfDB is also expected to fund a new transmission line from Benin to Delta to increase power evacuation on the line route from 400MW to 1,200MW and also another 1,200MW capacity transmission line that would complement the 400MW capacity line running from Kaduna to Kano.

“The JICA-funded project unit targets transmission projects in Lagos and Ogun States where TCN will build four 330kV substations, two 132/33kV substations and four 120MW capacity 330kV transmission lines. These lines will also connect the West African Power Pool (WAPP) to enable Nigeria to export more power when the projects are completed,” TCN disclosed.

The company had recently installed a new 60MVA, 132/33kV power transformer which radiates three feeders, including the Usuma Dam, Dawaki and Deidei feeders in its Kubwa Substation, Abuja.