The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has announced that it has commenced a scheme to rehabilitate and replace old circuit breakers under its transmission network across the country.
This was disclosed by Mrs Ndidi Mbah, TCN’s General Manager, Public Affairs, in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.
The TCN says the project would boost its bulk power transmission to distribution load centres nationwide.
What the TCN is saying
Mrs Mbah said,“The rehabilitation and replacement work which were officially inaugurated at the 37-year-old 330/132 KV, Ajaokuta Substation, Kogi State, marks TCN’s determination to ensure that all circuit breakers in its network are certified healthy and perform optimally.
“The decision to start with the circuit breakers in Ajaokuta substation was due to the strategic role the substation plays in transmitting bulk electricity to distribution load centres Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC).
“And the Benin Distribution Electricity Company (BEDC) covering areas such as; Abuja, Lokoja, Ayangba, Okene, Okpella, and Benin, among others.”
Read: TCN has lost N1.7 billion to vandalism in Maiduguri this year
She added that the TCN’s plan to rehabilitate the circuit breakers will be extended to all substations in the country whose circuit breakers are 20 years and above.
“In line with TCN’s quest to further improve the capacity of its workforce, it assigned engineers to work directly with the contractors to ensure hands-on training and practical skills transfer.
“Proper retrofitting or replacement of the circuit breakers will ensure that they operate optimally for the next 15 to 20 years.
“Circuit Breakers protect power transformers from any abnormal conditions or faults that may occur within or from outside the network,” she said.
Read: Minister of Power sacks TCN MD, confirms appointment of Directors
In case you missed it
Nairametrics reported earlier this year that the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) said there are no plans to privatise the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), adding that the Federal Government would concession it for more efficient operations
Mr Yunana Malo, Director, Energy Department said, “Government is not thinking of privatising, it is thinking of ways and means that the private capital can be brought into the transmission component without giving out the ownership of the Transmission Company.”
He disclosed that the Bureau would concession the transmission segment, stating; “So that we can have somebody building the high tension lines, covering areas that have not been reached or to maintain the existing ones to get maximum value, to move from the radial system we have today into a mesh. The idea is not to privatise but to reform and make it efficient, bringing in private sector operational modalities within the transmission company.”