By SUNDAY ABBA, Abuja
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has delivered 22 brand new power transformers, spare parts and critical equipment to its Central Store in Ojo, Lagos even as more of the equipment arrive Lagos Port.
The transformers were part of the imported power equipment that arrived at the Lagos port recently for delivery and installation at various ongoing project sites across the country, while some would be kept in the store to serve as spares for future use, a TCN statement signed by its general manager, Pubic Affairs, Ndidi Mbah said
She described the equipment, which according to her comprise l 22 power transformers, haulage trucks, transmission switchyard spare parts, 45Nos. earthing transformers, Suspension Clamps, Vibration Dampers, Armor Rods, Circuit Breakers, Current transformers, Voltage transformers, 100 tons Crane truck heads etc., as the highest of such in the company’s history.
The Technical and Monitoring Committee of the Governing Board led by the Committee Chairman, Nsima Ekere, visited the Ojo Store as part of their two-day visit to the Lagos Region where they inspected key power transmission substations as well as the Ojo Central Store.
After the equipment inspection, Ekere, lauded TCN for the record stock delivery to the store
“We have seen loads of equipment that gives hope that the new dawn the country has been expecting to see at TCN is here. We saw about 30 forklifts, mobile transformers, reconditioning facilities, all kinds of things, the conductors, isolators, several other equipment and electric scaffold mobile scissors, among others.
“I am convinced that the transmission grid expansion project that TCN is presently executing is ongoing and I must also commend the World Bank and other donor agencies that are helping us with funding,” he said.
On the quantum of equipment in the Ojo Central Store, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (MD/CEO), TCN, Sule Ahmed Abdulaziz, said that most of the equipment were procured for donor-funded projects supported by the World Bank, French Development Agency (AFD), African Development Bank, among others.
Abdulaziz noted that resources have been committed by donor agencies, assisting the transmission company in its grid expansion drive, the capacity of the transformers, he said, range from 60MVA up to 150MVA.
“We have the 100MVA transformers, high-grade cranes and other equipment. It implies that the turnaround time to rectify faults when they occur and the downtime have been reduced,” the TCN Chief said.
In another development, TCN, in a separate statement signed by Mbah, announced that the new 2X60MVA, 132/33kV Gas Insulated Substation (GIS) at Gwarinpa, Abuja have been energised.
The 132kV transmission substation is one of the five substation projects, comprising the Abuja Ring Projects, funded by Agence Francais de Developpment (AFD).
The substation which has six feeders through which bulk electricity is transmitted to Abuja Electricity Distribution Company’s (AEDCs) load centres, receives bulk supply from the Katampe 132kV Transmission line.
With the connection of the substation to the transmission network, TCN said it added over 98 megawatts (MWs) to the national power grid.
According to TCN, the other four substation projects were at various advanced stages of completion, of which two would soon be energised as others are being completed, and at the end of it all, the FCT and environs would have adequate power supply for the next 50years.
The Abuja Ring Project is one of the several projects being executed by TCN to further expand the transmission grid.