The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has stated that its earlier directive asking electricity generation companies to cut generation was in the interest of the integrity of the national grid and the entire power network in the country.
In a press statement signed and issued by the GM, Public Affairs, Seun Olagunju, TCN said the directive became imperative as some distribution companies (DisCos) are refusing to take more load as necessitated by increase in generation in recent times, a situation it noted would result in an imbalance and subsequent disturbance in the system.
The statement explains: “The attention of TCN has been drawn to some recent reports of request to generation companies to ‘ramp down’. Electricity, generally, is not stored but used as it is being generated. Hence at any particular moment in time, there is a power flow balance equation that determines system frequency, with the target of operating at 50HZ frequency.
“It is the duty of the System Operator (SO) to monitor the power flow on the national grid to ensure optimal operating conditions by making sure that the system is operated at a frequency close to 50HZ, and at voltages within tolerable limits.
“Recently, high system frequency (more than 50HZ) has been observed, necessitating some corrective measure, which, in this case, is either to ask the DisCos to absorb more load or the GenCos to reduce generation.
“The first option is the appropriate line of action. However, due to inexplicable reasons, some DisCos failed to take more load as generation increases. This has left the System Operator with no other option than to ask the GenCos to reduce generation to ensure grid stability.”
While stating categorically that the problem was not a wheeling capacity challenge on the part of TCN, but a demand side management problem from some DisCos rejecting available power, TCN noted that the highest generation level this year stands at 4,650MW while its wheeling capacity is 6,500MW.