TCN clarifies position on BEDC’s inability to deliver power to 33KV customers
Omeiza Bilal
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has said that it is not responsible for Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC’s) inability to supply power to consumers in its franchise area.
According to General Manager Public Affairs of TCN Nididi Mbah, the clarification became necessary after the DisCo’s publication on its social media platform on 12th April 2024 over its inability to supply 20 hours of power supply to its band A customers.
It will be recalled that IBEDC had on Friday attributed its inability to supply power to its customers to TCN.
According to the transmission company, the publication by BEDC is incorrect as the fault did not emanate from its substations.
“This report is to set the records straight and to appeal that facts be stated as they are for the benefit of all.
“We hereby note that BEDC attributed this to tripping due to earth fault at Amukpe and tripping due to an XLPE cable puncture at Effurun, both TCN substations is not correct.
“The incorrect attribution of these faults to TCN is clearly shown in the table on that release by IBEDC.
“For clarity, we note that on the 11th of April 2024, the Amukpe 33kV feeder tripped at 2:31pm and was restored by 4.08pm within 1 hour and 54 minutes.
“The cause of the outage, which was clearly under BEDC purview, was an instantaneous earth fault caused by stormy weather, which was restored on trial reclosure after the rain had subsided.
“Still, on the 11th of April 2024, Effurun 33kV feeder tripped at 12:25 p.m., and it is still out. The cause of the tripping was an earth fault on the outgoing feeder upriser, also from the BEDC DisCo end,” she explained.
Earlier last week in a chat with a news medium not the Business Affairs had explained whatever happens in the national grid is a function of demand and supply.
She stated that “There are numerous factors that can cause grid collapse. It’s not a matter of TCN sitting down to checkmate grid collapse. A sudden drop in major load off-take by distribution companies can cause grid instability, which may lead to grid collapse. Also a sudden major drop in generation can have the same effect.
“Again, there is the issue of spinning reserves. Now that we don’t have a spinning reserve, if there is a sudden drop in generation, for instance, the spinning reserve ought to come in, to compensate for loss of power and help stabilize the grid. And because we don’t have any spinning reserve presently, if there is a sudden large drop in generation, there will be an instant imbalance or mismatch between the generation and demand from the distribution end, which can lead to system collapse. The Transmission arm can also suddenly face a challenge that can cause collapse. There are so many other things; it’s not one thing that you can just go and fix.
“When you talk of grid collapse, it’s important to note that it’s not every outage that is grid collapse. When there is no light in a major part of Enugu or the whole of Enugu, for instance, it doesn’t constitute grid collapse. Grid collapse is when something happens and there is no light nationwide. While partial grid collapse is when a large part of the grid has an issue, and in this case, there will be no light in major parts of the country. When you have pockets of darkness across the country, it is NOT grid collapse. That one is a local problem of the distribution company in charge of that area.”
