The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has announced new efforts to address the frequent grid collapses that have plagued the country’s power supply. The Managing Director of TCN, Mr. Sule Abdulaziz, revealed that the company is set to commence the purchase of spinning reserves, a critical component in stabilizing the power grid and preventing disruptions.
In an interview with newsmen, Abdulaziz expressed TCN’s commitment to resolving the challenges that have resulted in Nigeria’s inconsistent power supply. He explained that spinning reserves, which refer to the unused capacity in online energy assets, play a crucial role in compensating for power shortages or frequency drops within the grid.
TCN Announces Plans to Mitigate Frequent Grid Collapses with Strategic Interventions
“Spinning reserve is the amount of unused capacity in online energy assets which can compensate for power shortages or frequency drops within a given period of time,” Abdulaziz stated, emphasizing the importance of this measure in reducing the frequency of grid collapses.
In addition to spinning reserves, TCN is working on installing Flexible Alternating Current Transmission System (FACTS) devices at critical nodes on the grid. These devices are designed to maintain grid voltage within specified limits, addressing the high or low-voltage issues that certain nodes are prone to. Abdulaziz highlighted that the installation of FACTS devices is a key step towards strengthening the grid, improving its reliability and stability, and making it more robust against faults that could lead to collapses.
Managing Director Sule Abdulaziz Outlines New Measures to Stabilize Nigeria’s Power Grid
“The reliability of the grid is improved when there is redundancy,” Abdulaziz noted. “These redundancies will help to further strengthen the grid and help forestall its instability, improving reliability and stability, which in turn make the grid more robust and less susceptible to faults that can lead to collapse.”
The TCN Managing Director also stressed the need for cooperation from critical investors in the power sector to achieve the spinning reserve purchase. He added that continuous maintenance of power facilities is essential to enhancing the country’s steady power supply, underscoring TCN’s commitment to addressing the ongoing challenges in Nigeria’s power sector.
