Electric Power Transmission ‘Improvement’ in Nigeria: Any Reason to Rejoice?

Recently, precisely on August 10, 2015, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (“TCN”) announced that it attained an all-time high of electricity transmission of 101,088MWh in Nigeria. This achievement, the TCN said, was recorded on the 5th of August 2015. It stated that the previous highest electricity transmission recorded was 99,450MWh on October 31, 2014. 

TCN is the owner and operator of the National grid on behalf of the Federal Government of Nigeria (“FGN”). Under Nigeria’s principal electric power sector regulating law—Electric Power Sector Reforms Act 2005—TCN is in charge of transmission of electricity, i.e. wheeling electricity at high voltages from the point of generation (power plant) to the point of distribution (substation) including system operation[1] and procurement of the ancillary services[2]. It carries out this responsibility primarily through the operation and management of the national electricity grid.[3] So where the national grid is performing below its installed capacity or below agreed levels, the TCN is usually at the receiving end of culpability both from legal and social point of view.

How significant are the recent improvements in electricity transmission?

The attainment of 101,088MWh electricity transmission in a day represents an appreciable improvement within the Nigerian electricity supply industry context but when placed in a broader global context, they are very negligible improvements. The referenced figures represent transmission of an average of 4,100–4,300 MW per hour in a 24-hour day. These ‘improvements’ are important to note—both by the operators and consumers. This is because before now, it was common knowledge that about 60% of electric power generated in Nigeria is lost during transmission. These losses are largely due to weak, and in some cases non-existent, transmission infrastructure. It therefore means that if our power plants generate 5000MW of electric power for example, around 3000MW is lost during transmission. Transmission of 4,212MW of electric power per hour, represents a significant ‘improvement’ and effect by TCN.

What do the ‘perceived’ improvements mean?

The full version of this post including footnote is found at NigerianLawToday.com