How we plan to prevent frequent grid collapses – TCN
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has said it will implement a backup system to prevent nationwide blackouts in the event of a national grid collapse.
TCN’s Managing Director, Sule Abdulaziz, revealed this during an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics program.
He attributed the recurrent grid failures to the outdated infrastructure, some of which has been in place for over 50 years.
Abdulaziz said, “Presently, we are doing the scatter system for the whole network and it is funded by the World Bank, and the project will take two years to be completed, and now, we have done 70% of the project.
“Almost a month ago, we were at Gwagwalada (in Abuja) with the World Bank where we celebrated the project. It is 70 percent completed. Once we have the scatter system, it will reduce the frequency of getting system disturbances.”
“We are trying to upgrade all our transmission lines,” he said, adding that though the government might not have enough money for the project, the TCN has been working in partnership with private companies to mobilise funds.
“The honourable minister is now working with the presidency to have that approval. This is what we call the super grid.
“By the time we have it, even if there is a fault in one transmission line, you can switch to the one so that we have an alternative but now, the type of grid we have, once we have a problem with the line, you have no other line to switch on to,” he said.
The TCN Managing Director emphasised the need for ongoing investment in critical electricity generation and transmission infrastructure.
He explained that the rising costs of electricity reflect the challenges of power production, noting that Nigerians in Band A reportedly enjoy 24-hour electricity.
Despite the recent tariff increases, Abdulaziz maintained that electricity in Nigeria remains more affordable than in neighboring countries like Chad, Mali, Burkina Faso, and other African nations.
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