Low Generation Behind Abuja Power Shortage, TCN Clarifies

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has blamed low electricity generation on the national grid for the recent drop in power supply to Abuja, rejecting claims by the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) that the shortfall was caused by tripping transmission lines from Shiroro.

TCN, in a statement signed by its management on Wednesday, said the allegation was “inaccurate and misleading”, insisting that all 330kV transmission lines serving the Abuja axis remained operational.

The clarification followed an earlier notice issued by AEDC on August 26, in which the distribution company informed customers of supply constraints and attributed a sharp reduction in its power allocation to the alleged tripping of transmission lines supplying Abuja from the Shiroro Transmission Substation.

AEDC said its allocation had fallen from about 641 megawatts (MW) to 314MW, a reduction of 327MW, with the development forcing it to implement load shedding across several feeders, including some Band A feeders.

However, TCN said the reduction in supply had nothing to do with any fault on its 330kV transmission network in the Abuja region.

“Contrary to the information contained in AEDC’s publication, all 330kV transmission lines within Abuja Region are currently in circuit, and no such tripping of the 330kV transmission lines supplying Abuja axis, as alleged by AEDC, has occurred,” the transmission company said.

TCN maintained that the reduction in AEDC’s allocation, and the resulting load shedding across its feeders, could therefore not be attributed to the alleged failure of its transmission lines.

The company instead identified low generation on the national grid as the cause of the reduced power available to AEDC.

The development has implications for electricity consumers across the Federal Capital Territory and parts of AEDC’s franchise area, where reduced allocations from the grid translate into fewer hours of supply and increased load shedding.

AEDC had urged affected customers to bear with the situation while efforts were being made with relevant stakeholders to improve supply.

The latest exchange between the two power-sector operators highlights the distinction between the three major stages of Nigeria’s electricity supply chain — generation, transmission and distribution — with a shortfall at any stage capable of affecting consumers.

TCN, which is responsible for transmitting bulk electricity from generating plants to distribution companies, said it remained focused on maintaining the stability and reliability of the national transmission network.

It also stressed the need for accurate communication when informing electricity consumers about the causes of supply disruptions.

“TCN remains committed to efficiently transmitting available bulk electricity across the nation and maintaining the stability, reliability, and integrity of the nation’s transmission grid,” the company said.

The clarification comes a day after TCN announced a planned maintenance exercise at its Ajaokuta 330/132kV Transmission Substation. However, that exercise was specifically scheduled to affect AEDC customers in parts of Kogi State and was not identified as the cause of the Abuja supply reduction.

AEDC serves electricity consumers across the Federal Capital Territory, as well as Niger, Kogi and Nasarawa states.

For consumers in Abuja, the immediate issue remains the availability of sufficient electricity generation to feed the national grid, even as TCN insists that the transmission infrastructure supplying the capital remains intact.