The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) and the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) have disagreed over the extent of power cuts to be experienced by some Abuja customers during the installation of a Gas Insulated Substation (GIS) in Gwarimpa.

While the TCN said that during the installation which will be completed on November 9, the power supply will not be disrupted, the AEDC in response, noted that it had been forced to resort to load shedding as about 100MW had been cut off from its allocation.

General Manager, Public Affairs of TCN, Ndidi Mbah, said that the new 2x60MVA substation was part of TCN’s efforts to reinforce the high voltage transmission ring project around Abuja, which will increase bulk power available for Abuja Disco to take to its customers in Abuja metropolis and environs.

“During the 14-day installation period, bulk power delivery to the Abuja AEDC will not be affected as TCN has made adequate plans to ensure that the quantum of power supplied AEDC is maintained.

“This means that the installation of TCN’s new GIS substation will not affect bulk supply to Abuja Disco for its customers. The Gwarimpa GIS substations project, when completed and commissioned into the circuit, will increase the quantum of bulk power supply in Abuja and the environs,” TCN said.

But AEDC through its spokesman, Oyebode Fadipe, picked holes in the TCN report, saying its load intake in some parts of Abuja had been significantly reduced by 65 per cent of the daily load following the commencement of the project.

As a result of the exercise by the TCN, he stated that AEDC Plc can only take 40MW out of the 140MW it hitherto received from TCN for distribution to customers fed from the Kubwa 2 X 60MVA 132/33kV transmission station (AT4).

Kubwa substation serves Dawaki, Bwari, Deidei and Kubwa 33kV injection substations in Abuja. The 40MW is shared between Suleja and Kubwa transmission stations on the basis of 20MW each.

“In order not to keep the feeders out completely, the load carried by the Kubwa 2 X 60MVA 132/33kV substation has been diverted to the Suleja transmission station and this has led to the massive load-shedding currently experienced by AED Plc customers who take power from the aforementioned feeders,” he said.

The distribution company listed affected areas as Dawaki, Deidei, Kubwa, Gbazango, Suleja, Gwagwa, Iddu Karmo, parts of Life Camp and Gwarinpa, I-Pent Estate, EFAB Metropolis and Mab-Global Estate.

Other areas impacted include Zuba, Kaduna Road, Bwari, Dutse, Lower Usman Dam, Dantata Estate, Kubwa, Zuma, Gauraka, Dikko, Deidei International Building Materials Market and environs.

Meanwhile, TCN has said that it is still changing the old overloaded 132kV Ikeja West – Alimoso – Ogba – Alausa – Ota – Papalanto 240MW transmission line with a new high capacity 500MW transmission line to solve the problem of poor power supply in Ikeja West/Papalanto axis of Lagos State.

Presently the five power stations along that line route have a total capacity of 570MW but are only able to deliver 240MW because of the old undersized transmission line.

The company said that as the area continues to experience a continued increase in human population and socio-economic activities, the demand for electricity will continue to grow and if the line is left without an upgrade, electricity supply would soon become impossible in the area.

Bearing in mind the importance of power supply, TCN said it is carrying out the line replacement work from 8 am to 5 pm daily, while the light is restored by 6 pm in the evening to 8 am in the morning daily, a development estimated to last for another four weeks from last week.