TCN Sets Up Advanced Network Monitoring System Dev’t C’mttee
…Announces Lose Of 4 Owerri-Ahoada Line Towers To Vandalism
By ABAH ADAH, Abuja
In a strategic effort to enhance grid stability and mitigate power system disturbances, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has inaugurated a Network Monitoring System Development Committee, a statement signed by its General Manager, Public Affairs, Ndidi Mbah, has said.
According to the statement, the committee’s primary objective is to design and implement an advanced monitoring system equipped with integrated data analysis and real-time operational awareness capabilities to ensure optimisation of generation and transmission resources in our grid operations.
At the committee’s inauguration, the Executive Director, Independent System Operations (ISO), Engr (Mrs) Nafisat Ali highlighted the importance of the initiative.
She noted that the System Operator is responsible for managing the entire power system network, which includes planning and monitoring operations. However, the current manual operation poses challenges in terms of visibility and tracking the activities of various stakeholders.
Engr Ali mentioned that the increasing complexity of the power system necessitates the development of a comprehensive Network Monitoring System.
The Committee Chairman, Engr Ojo Thomas Oladeji, who is also the Assistant General Manager (Research) at ISO, noted that TCN’s in-house engineers have proficiently maintained the system with locally developed solutions.
He also mentioned that the committee intends to leverage the capabilities of Phase Measuring Units (PMU) along with existing IoT data to meet its goals.
The eight-member committee will employ domestic technologies, including the Internet of Things (IoT), to develop the Network Monitoring System. This system will be operational prior to the completion of the ongoing work on the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) System and will subsequently serve as a backup.
“Comprehensive deployment of IoT throughout the grid network, coupled with the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) tools across generation, transmission, and distribution data processing, will significantly enhance the project’s success,” TCN said.
Meanwhile in another development, the transmission company has announced the collapse of four of its towers along the Owerri-Ahoada 132kV double circuit line after they were vandalised.
The affected towers, T171 to T174, were compromised, which led to their collapse at approximately 6:23 pm on Tuesday, 11th March, and were discovered after a failed trial reclosure that prompted a subsequent patrol, TCN said in a separate statement, adding that investigations confirmed that the towers’ collapse was a direct result of vandalism.
The incident, TCN said, has disrupted power supply to the Ahoda, Gbarain, and Yenagoa 132kV transmission substations, affecting some parts of Rivers State and the entire Bayelsa State.
Condemning the act of vandalism, TCN assured that human and material resources were being mobilised to restore the fallen towers so that bulk power supply could be restored to the affected states.