TCN fires back at BEDC over comment on Ondo South blackout

Ukpono Ukpong, Abuja

Sequel to Benin Electricity Distribution Company, BEDC, comment that TCN has not been able to transmit adequate power to BEDC in Ondo State and especially in part of Ondo South due to its technical constraints which has led to the existing problem of none availability of power in these locations, the Management of Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), has said that effort to improve the bulk supply of electricity to Ondo South and the entire Ondo State is in top gear.

Reacting to an advertorial published by Benin Electricity Distribution Company, BEDC, in the Punch Newspaper of Sunday, 23rd June, the TCN General Manager, Public Affairs, Mrs Ndidi Mbah, said the 132kV Oshogbo – Ife – Ondo line which supplies bulk electricity to Ondo South has long spanage, which affects the voltage level by the time it gets to Ondo South.

“TCN assures the Governor and the other good people of Ondo State that TCN is committed to improving the bulk supply of electricity to Ondo South, the entire Ondo State and Nigeria generally.”

Mbah in a statement sent to Daily Times, explained that the line has been fully captured in the TCN’s flagship project: Transmission Rehabilitation and Expansion Program (TREP) for re-conductoring and voltage boosting.

“The line project is specifically part of the Nigerian Electricity Transmission Access Project, NETAP, which is being funded by the World Bank. Under NETAP, the existing 2 x 30MVA transformers would be upgraded to 2 x 60MVA brand new transformers to deliver more quality build power to Benin DisCo for the Ondo South communities. The procurement process for this project has commenced.

“The 30MVA transformer with breaker problem has been taken over by Niger Delta Power holding Company, NDPHC, for rehabilitation. Findings from NDPHC indicate that the rehabilitation work has reached 70% completion and would be completed and commissioned before the end of September 2019.

“It would be recalled that TCN singlehandedly installed and commissioned the 1 x 60MVA 132/33kV substation in Akure on 20th August, 2018, to boost bulk power supply in the state capital.”

In order to further improve bulk power supply to Ondo South, Mbah disclosed that there is a plan to construct a new 330kV quad line from Omotosho to Benin North and the Omotosho substation will be fully upgraded to 330/132/33kV Substation.

Speaking further, she said that though the 2 x 60MVA substation project in Okitipupa is being handled by Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), but due of the peculiar problem of Ondo South and on the order of the former Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde RajiFashola, TCN attempted to take over and complete the substation.

She revealed that TCN engineers visited the substation at Okitipupa and took inventory, but could not carry out the project as planned due to non-cooperation of NDDC.

Recall, BEDC in the advertorial said “We wish to categorically state that BEDC as a distribution company and service provider is not comfortable watching a large proportion of its customers located in Ondo State and most especially in several locations in Ondo South without power supply for so many years.

“The reality however is that in line with the existing methodology of buying and transmitting bulk power from the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) grid such power which is purchased by BEDC is what is distributed to our customers in all areas.

“BEDC since 2015 has escalated to the State Government, Ministry of Power and NERC that the issue of power supply to the major part of Ondo South is largely and principally a TCN constraint.

As a value chain, the commencement process in taking power to the public is TCN. When TCN makes bulk power available, distribution companies like BEDC take same and distribute/sell to end users.

“However, TCN has not been able to transmit adequate power to BEDC in Ondo State and especially in part of Ondo South due to its technical constraints which has led to the existing problem of none availability of power in these locations.”