Power: Expert urges more investments to boost national grid
AMADI CHIGOZIE,
An expert on power, Mr Kunle Olubiyo has urged the Federal Government and stakeholders to increase investment in the power sector to boost the national grid.
According to Olubiyo, this will also reduce the frequent collapse being experienced by the grid.
Olubiyo who is also the President, Nigerian Consumer Protection Network, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Sunday .
He spoke against the backdrop of the frequent grid collapse being experienced in the, country.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) had on Feb. 4 said that the grid experienced a partial disturbance at about 11:21 a. m.
The company said that prior to the incident; total generation on the grid was 3,901.25 Mega Watts (MW) at 8 a. m, a little over three hours before the time of partial collapse.
‘ It is important to note that low power generation has persisted since January to date, exacerbating daily due to the lingering gas constraint.”
According to the National Control Centre (NCC), the Internet of Things (IoT) revealed that just before the partial disturbance, which occurred at Sapele, Steam and Egbin Substations lost 29.32MW and 343.84MW at 11:20:14 hrs and 11:20:17hrs respectively, totalling 373.16MW.
Olubiyo said the electricity grid value chain would do better with more investment in acquisition of effective and functional Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA).
He said that there was the need to also invest in black start equipment, spinning reserves, mechanised vegetation control and management of invasive vegetation encroachment on the grid network.
“Investment in system protective devices as the name implies will serve as safety valves and enhance health safety and environment.
“There is also the need to remove illegal structures built-up under the transmission network towers and all manners of illegal structures on the grid network Right of Way (ROW), ‘’he said.
Olubiyo said that removal of illegal structure on the ROW would further enhance the grid system stability and reliability and ensure safe delivery of electricity to Nigerians.
According to him, the issues of system collapses are multifaceted abd that these includes but not limited to the followings
“Obsolescence of critical grid equipment, national power grid infrastructure , vegetation enchroachment and poor funding of management of vegetation enchroachment on the grid network.”
He said that It was also expedient to put an end to low gas pressure by making payments for gas upfront.
“Gas producers would not give you gas when you refused to settle your debts obligations resulting from non-payments arrears of the previous supply.
He said that power generated cannot be stored so it is expected that the generated electricity available on the grid from generation, transmission dispatch, distribution load evacuation must at all-time be at equilibrium or be at par.
Olubiyo said that load centres managers are expected to be disciplined and pick load within the thresholds of load allocated to them.
“If there is indiscipline and it becomes prevalent, it can cumulatively result in system misalignments and system distortion .
“This may result in system disturbances or eventually give rise to partial system collapses, ”he said (NAN)
