Agro ProduceAbuja Disco, Five Others Dip in NERC’s Q3, 2017 Rating

Chineme Okafor in Abuja
A third quarter (Q3) operational performance rating of power generation, transmission and distribution companies in Nigeria by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has shown that six distribution companies (Discos) including that serving the country’s federal capital territory – Abuja Disco, operated below 40 per cent within the period.

Obtained in Abuja, the NERC’s performance rating showed that Abuja, Yola, Jos, Port Harcourt, Kano and Kaduna Discos, recorded respective weighted scores of 37, 34, 30, 30, 22, and 14 per cent in their operations. They were assessed on the bases of their remittances to the market, progresses made in metering their consumers, efforts made to reduce their Aggregate Technical Commercial and Commercial (ATC&C) loss levels, as well as quality of service and network improvements.

It said only Benin, Ikeja, Eko, Enugu and Ibadan Discos were able to score 40 per cent and above in its performance ratings.
Collectively, NERC said all the 11 Discos had improved their collection efficiencies by two per cent from 58 to 60 per cent between Q2 and Q3, but had not done so well with their remittances and metering programmes. It however said the improvements in collection efficiencies did not reflect correspondingly on the level of remittances to the market.

According to the NERC ratings, between June and July, a total of N83 billion was invoiced to the Discos as due for payment to the market for power supplied to them but only N22 billion was paid, leaving a shortfall of N63 billion for the period.

“ATC&C and metering progress: low performance persists. Energy received reduced by six per cent while generation and transmission capacities increase, increased collection performance not reflecting in remittance,” said NERC in its observations in the report card.

On transmission, the NERC stated that frequency fluctuations in the power grid came down to nine per cent from 80 that was recorded in Q2, while transmission loses reduced to 8.42 per cent from 9.21 per cent. Four partial and zero total collapses were equally recorded by the TCN within the period.

NERC noted that the TCN was able to do with its introduction of the free governor control system, and enforcement of the grid code, as well as reducing transformer overload from 114 to 104 between Q2 and Q3 respectively with new transmission projects commissioned.
For the generation companies, it explained there was a marginal improvement in plant availability, and that 2,591 megawatts (MW) of electricity were constrained from getting generated by frequency, gas supplies, and line limitations challenges.

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