National grid has suffered 108 collapse since privatisation, says TCN

Transmission Company of Nigeria says the nation’s electricity grid has suffered no fewer than 108 collapse since the privatisation of the power sector.

This is contained in the data from the government-owned TCN, which manages the national grid.

The highest electricity ever generated in the country is 5,375MW, despite TCN’s claim that the grid has 8,100MW wheeling capacity.

President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration privatised the sector with 11 electricity distribution companies and six generation companies handed over to core investors on November 1, 2013.

But between November 1, 2013 and May 2020, the number of total grid collapse recorded was 83 while the grid partially collapsed 25 times.

According to the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, total system collapse means total blackout nationwide, while partial system collapse is a failure of a section of the grid. 

The grid has continued to suffer system collapse over the years amid lack of spinning reserve that is meant to forestall such occurrences.

Spinning reserve is the generation capacity that is online but unloaded and that can respond within 10 minutes to compensate for generation or transmission outages.

Although five power stations are meant to provide spinning reserves, sometimes none may have actual reserve.

The power stations are Egbin, Delta, Olorunsogo NIPP, Geregu NIPP and Omotosho NIPP.

Nigerian Economic Summit Group recently advised the Federal Government to complete the power and energy sector deregulation process by opening up the transmission segment of the power value chain to private participation and investments.

NESG in its 2020 Macroeconomic Outlook, stated, “In doing this, three criteria should be considered for willing and prospective investors – managerial experience, technical expertise and financial capabilities.

 “These are key to the success of the power/energy sector reform road map in Nigeria.”

The system operator, an arm of the TCN, put the nation’s installed generation capacity at 12,910.40MW; available capacity at 7,652.60MW; transmission wheeling capacity at 8,100MW; and the peak generation ever attained at 5,375MW.

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