Adaobi Rhema Oguejiofor
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has disclosed that the national power grid has operated without disruptions or systems collapse for a period of 400 consecutive days, which is about 13 months of straight operational stability.
The General Manager of TCN, Mrs. Ndidi Mbah, announced the milestone achievement in a statement issued on Tuesday. She said that the milestone signified a remarkable advancement in the nation’s effort towards strengthening its power infrastructure and ensuring a reliable electricity supply to distribution load centres for onward distribution to electricity customers across the country.
According to her, the sustained stability and reliability of the national power grid could be attributed to a combination of strategic measures and investments in the power system by the Management of the TCN. She also listed some of the key elements that have contributed to the remarkable accomplishment, including Configuration and Enforcement of Free Governor Control, effective Under-frequency Relay Scheme, among others.
In her own words, “TCN constituted a three-person committee, which was formed to go round the country for the configuration and activation of Primary Reserve in coordination with power stations and line with the provisions in the Grid code. This committee devised a robust monitoring and enforcement mechanism for generating station compliance after activating the unit governor control. This innovative approach, known as the Free Governor Mode of Operation (FGMO), automatically adjusts generation in response to frequency changes, ensuring stability, reliability, and reduced transmission losses.
“Under Frequency Relay Scheme, counters the challenges posed by occasional generation shortfalls and resulting frequency declines, TCN implemented a strategic deployment of under frequency relay scheme. This scheme operates in critical stages to prevent frequency-related disruptions by initiating circuit breaker trips or alerting network operators, thereby averting system collapse.”
Mbah expressed that TCN’s dedicated teams of trained staff have consistently demonstrated proactive response during emergencies, contributing to swift crisis resolution and minimal disruptions, their collaboration, clear communication, and continuous training underscore their commitment to grid management and resilience.
She said that the collaboration between TCN and stakeholders in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) has continued to yield joint initiatives, such as Power Purchase Agreements, Service Level Agreements, Power Evacuation Agreements, and NESI situation room reports, adding that regular evaluations enhance real-time monitoring and adjustment, fostering a resilient power landscape.