TCN: 11 Discos Rejected 22,277.53MW of Electricity in Eight Days

Chineme Okafor in Abuja

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has disclosed again that the 11 electricity distribution companies (Discos) in the power sector are still in the habit of refusing to take maximum electricity loads allocated to them for distribution to their various consumers.

The TCN said in a weekly electricity allocation log it posted on its twitter handle – @TCN_Nigeria, which THISDAY obtained yesterday in Abuja that between August 27 and September 3, 2017 – a period of eight days, the 11 Discos comprising of Abuja, Benin, Eko, Enugu, Ibadan, Ikeja, Jos, Kaduna, Kano, Port Harcourt, and Yola, refused to take up and distribute a total of 22,277.53 megawatts (MW) of power produced by power generation companies (Gencos).

This is despite current records from both the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) indicating that well over 89 million Nigerian citizens do not have any form of electricity connections to their homes.

Yet, the Discos according to the TCN records refused to take up an average of 2,784.6MW every day for distribution to their customers, thereby suggesting that the rejected volumes were produced by the Gencos, and the TCN willing to transmit them.

According to the records, on August 27, the Discos collectively rejected a total of 1,351.47MW; the next day, they allowed a whopping 3,129.05MW to waste; while on August 30, they simply could not take up 2,841.1MW that was generated.

Similarly, their load rejection acts continued on August 31, when they failed to accept 2,656.46MW of power that was generated; on September 1, they could not take 2,713.95MW; as well as on September 2 and 3 when they could not take 3,010.59MW and 3,267.17MW respectively.

According to the record, Ikeja, Ibadan, and Enugu Discos were among the top in the load rejection acts of the Discos.

The record showed the load rejection acts of the Discos to include: “August 27: Abuja Disco – 143.27MW; Benin Disco – 134.71MW; Eko Disco -92.97MW; Enugu Disco -166.33MW; Ibadan Disco – 172.11MW; Ikeja – 396.24MW; Jos – 79.14MW; Kaduna – 117.43MW; Kano – 32.22MW; Port Harcourt Disco – 3.14MW; Yola Disco – 13.91MW.

“28/08/017: 335.32MW; 268.55MW; 298.83MW; 311.68MW; 375.50MW; 638.26MW; 167.82MW; 264.03MW; 212.01MW; 165.22MW; 91.83MW respectively.
“29/08/017: 358.71MW; 298.67; 359.22MW; 296.03MW; 421.14MW; 652.83MW; 183.85MW; 277.73MW; 200.40MW; 158.68MW; 100.48MW.”

It further continued respectively as: “30/08/017: 288.32MW; 237.90MW; 268.70MW; 285.95MW; 332.49MW; 600.92MW; 144.38MW; 248.99MW; 203.11MW; 156.39MW; 73.95MW.
“31/08/017: 235.34MW; 250.22MW; 272.26MW; 261.86MW; 325.91MW; 595.69MW; 106.06MW; 224.16MW; 179.57MW; 124.88MW; 80.51MW.
“01/09/017: 283.95MW; 219.55MW; 282.48MW; 248.01MW; 314.32MW; 624.36MW; 125.60MW; 215.60MW; 212.38MW; 116.06MW; 71.64MW.
“02/09/017: 304.52MW; 227.35MW; 302.66MW; 283.53MW; 359.48MW; 635.80MW; 152.80MW; 243.00MW; 227.89MW; 190.48MW; 83.08MW.
“03/09/017: 297.25MW; 285.27Mw; 320.54MW; 310.07MW; 404.54MW; 619.11MW; 156.84MW; 298.35MW; 255.51MW; 230.02MW; 89.67MW.”
Also, based on the reports of the sector’s performance within the period which the Advisory Power Team in the Office of the Vice President shared, most of the Discos have continued to experience challenges with their networks.
The advisory team’s report linked the poor distribution capacities of the Discos to the frequent outages at their feeders.

Recently, the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, said that Nigeria currently has up to 6,863MW of electricity that can be sent to homes and industries in the country, but due to the failures of the distribution facilities of the 11 Discos, that amount of power cannot get to homes and offices of their customers.

Fashola, explained at a sector meeting that due to improvements in gas supply to thermal power plants in the South and adequate rains in the reservoirs of the hydro plants in the North, the country could conveniently generate 6,863MW and transmit 6,700MW of it, but the entire power would not get to consumers because the 33KV infrastructure of the 11 Discos were constrained.

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