By Derrick Bangura

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) attempted to explain the worsening of the country’s power supply on Tuesday, claiming that the Generation Companies (Gencos) were not generating enough electricity to be transmitted by the company.

TCN, the wholly owned federal government entity, insisted in a statement signed by the General Manager, Public Affairs, Mrs. Ndidi Mbah that it could only transmit power supplied by the Gencos.
The TCN notified its customers that the current load shedding being experienced nationwide was as a result of very low power generation made available by the Gencos for wheeling through the transmission grid to Distribution Companies (Discos) nationwide.

“The media has been awash with reports that TCN has reduced the load allocation to distribution companies. That information is incorrect. The correct position is that TCN can only transmit the quantum of power generated by Gencos through the national grid to distribution load centres nationwide.

“For clarity, TCN does not generate electricity and therefore can only transport cumulative generation from all the generation companies nationwide to distribution load centres.

“The distribution companies are responsible for end-users consumption. TCN allocates power to distribution companies based on approved percentage (formula approved by NERC), of the total generation available per hour or on day-ahead nomination,” it stated.

The company noted that presently, the cumulative generation nationwide was low and generation companies have attributed this to several factors including poor gas supply.

Other challenges, it stressed, included low generating units of generating companies, scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, all of which have caused most power generating companies to limit their generation, and sometimes not generate at all.

A summary of the power generating profiles in the last two months, for instance, the statement noted, clearly showed that 14 gas-powered generating stations were either not generating at all or had limited generation at various times within the period, further depleting the quantum of power generation available for transmission into the grid on a daily basis.

“Power generating stations in this category include; Omotosho units 5 & 6, Olorunsogo units 3, 4 & 6, Omoku units 3 & 6, Omotosho NIPP units 3 & 4, Delta units 15, 17, and 18, Afam VI units 11 & 12, Olorunsogo NIPP unit 3, Ihovbor NIPP unit 2, Sapele Steam unit 3, Sapele NIPP unit 1, Odukpani NIPP units 1 & 3, and Okpai units 11, 12 & 18.

“Also, within the same period, Jebba Hydro and Shiroro Power Generating Stations were either out or had limited generation, causing additional loss of 232MW from the grid.

“Other power generating plants such as Omotosho units 3&4, Olorunsogo units 1, Delta units 10 &20, Afam VI unit 13, Ihovbor NIPP units 4, Geregu NIPP units 22&23 and Odukpani NIPP units 2, 4 & 5, have also been out either on fault or for scheduled maintenance, causing a further loss of about 3,180MW from the grid,” the TCN stated.

The company stated that a combination of the above scenarios had persisted and the total effect on the grid has been persistent low generation, which TCN operators have had to strive to dispatch in a way that will not jeopardise the stability of the grid.

“More recently, from the 1st to 4th of March, 2022, there was generation shortfall due to water management in Shiroro and Jebba hydro with the loss of 307MW and 125MW respectively from both stations.

“Within the same period, there were fault and technical problems in Egbin, causing 514MW shortfall and in Geregu causing 230MW shortfall, while reported fault at Alaoji NIPP reduced generation from the substation by 263MW.

“Gas constraint alone in Olorunsogo gas generating plant reduced generation from the station by 104MW, in the same vein, Omotosho gas lost 102MW and Sapele NIPP lost 263MW. In Omotosho NIPP, there was generation shortfall of 233MW and in Omoku a shortfall of 112MW.

“Two units in Okpai have limited generation due to technical problems causing a 204MW drop in generation and in Afam VI 511MW drop in generation.

“Gas constraint and fault in Olorunsogo NIPP reduced generation by 240MW, Geregu NIPP by 435MW, and Ihovbor by 142MW. Also, due to gas pipeline pigging, Odukpani NIPP was shut down which caused a reduction of generation by 575MW,” it added.

The TCN further reiterated that a combination of issues ranging from gas constraints, fault, and technical problems within generating plants caused persistent low generation and consequently low load allocation to distribution companies nationwide.

It pointed out that this is based on the fact that TCN can only transmit what is being generated by Gencos and presently they are all generating below capacity.

TCN stated that except cumulative power generation increases considerably for it to transmit to distribution companies nationwide, TCN would be left with no choice than to continue to shed load.

“We will however continue to work hard to ensure the efficient allocation of the total load generated by power generating stations into the grid, bearing in mind the need to ensure that the national grid is stable in spite of the challenges posed by insufficient load on the transmission grid,” TCN said.