Power generation increases by 66.4MWs in 10 days ―TCN

Again, power generation has increased by 66.4 megawatts in ten days, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), at the weekend said.

The national peak level, which as at December 8th was 5,155.9MW, on 18th of December increased to 5,222.3MW.

This was disclosed  in a statement issued by the General Manager, Public Affairs, Ndidi Mba in Abuja.

It said this is the highest ever recorded generation recorded in the nation’s power sector to-date.

“This surpassed the 5,155.9MW achieved on December 8, 2017 and the earlier peak of 5,074.70MW, achieved on February 2, 2016,” it said.

The statement noted that the gradual but steady improvement in the nation’s power sector is attributable to the strategy of the Federal Government FG to growing the Power Sector, in line with its policy on incremental power.

To properly key into the incremental power policy, TCN stated that it has developed the Transmission Rehabilitation and Expansion Programme to enable it prioritise and execute critical transmission projects.

It said this necessitated the clearing of the company’s stranded containers carrying various transmission equipment at the sea ports, to enable it complete previously abandoned projects to further expand the grid capacity.

Of the 759 containers abandoned by contractors at the sea ports within the last five years, it said 454 have been cleared from March to-date.

“Payment for 193 containers has been made and they are being cleared, while payment for the outstanding 112 containers is yet to be made,” the statement added.

TCN further explained that all the 454 containers cleared from the ports have been taken to various construction sites such as Yola, Gulak, Katsina, Jos, Dambatta, Ganmo, Abeokuta, Onitsha and Benin.

Other construction sites include Odoguyan, Ede, Igangan, Okene, Walalambe, Akwanga, Kachia, Kumbotso, Kaduna and Yola.

The statement added that the containers had been abandoned at the ports for between 2 to 6 years by contractors, for various reasons including suspension of TCN Import Duty Exemption Certificate(IDEC) in 2013, by the Ministry of Finance, slow processing of IDEC by TCN in the past and inefficiency of the contractors.

It said this had led to the various uncompleted transmission projects in various parts of the country.

The company, however, reiterated its commitment to working to further stabilise, rehabilitate and expand the grid and called on all Nigerians to work with the sector in safeguarding electricity installations nationwide.