Ondo: TCN to commission 330kV/132kV/33kV transmission substation to boost power grid capacity
By Akintunde Jacobs, Akure
Following the prolonged power crisis across all states of the Federation, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has disclosed that the Akure feeding scheme project which consists of 330kV/132kV/33kV transmission substation will be ready for commissioning before the end of the 2022.
According to Engr. Victor Adewumi, the Executive Director, Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), while speaking with journalists at the weekend in Akure, said if the transmission substation is commissioned, it would help in strengthening the power supply in Ondo state.
He said, “We are actually here in Akure, Ondo state at the instance of the Honourable Minister of Power, Engr. Abubakar Aliu. This transmission substation is one of the projects that he has termed as priority project that he wants to commission before end of this year. If you look around now, you will see that this substation has been ready for the past year but we could not commission it, because the transmission line that is supposed to power the substation from Osogbo via Akure to Benin is not yet ready.
“We have been having a lot of issues on the corridor of that line which we have always said is one singular factor because nobody wants to give their land out and even where they allow you to use their land for the transmission line to pass through their land, they demand for a ridiculous amount of money, at times the money they demand is even five times the entire project.
“But the Honourable Minister in his wisdom when he came, had a meeting with the governors forum and told them physically how he wants them to assist him. So if the governors are ready to assist us, the problem of right of ways issue will become things of the past.
“This particular substation is one of the priority projects that we want to commission before year end. So we are here basically to assess the situation and give back the situation we met the substation to the Honourable Minister when we get back to Abuja.”
Speaking on the partnership between the TCN and the Ondo state government on the substation, Adewumi said, “Recently, the Ondo state government has been assisting us, I can say now that our relationship is very cordial. The present Commissioner for Energy in the state has been able to assist us in solving the most critical part of the way, the Ilara-Mokin area. As I speak, the contractor in charge has been mobilised back to the site to work.”
According to him, the capacity of the substation is 2by 50 on the 330kV size and 2by 60 on the 33kV size, therefore, if this station is delivered, it has the capacity of 96 megawatts to deliver to the good people of Ondo and Ekiti states.
He posited that the 96 megawatts is a huge amount of power and if this station is energised, it is going to serve Akure directly and will have another leg to power Ekiti state, so the problem of Ekiti in the areas of electricity will be addressed and that of Akure.
“When we are planning our projects, we don’t rely on one source and if you look at the other side of the substation, you will see the 33kv base. So presently, there are six 33kv presently available for them, the BEDC. But it is their own interest to take the supply from here for the customers and not from the old substation down here in Akure,” he said.
On the project delivery, the TCN Executive Director said the project is ready for commissioning saying, “it is like 98 per cent completed and when we have this kind of substation, there is need for us to carry out proper maintenance, the transformer will be regenerated in order to be back to normal and we are hoping that in the next 4 to 5 months this substation will be commissioned. What we are trying to do now is to redesign the sub.
“In view of this, we want to appreciate these three state governments, Osun, Ondo and Edo, because the lines transferred to those three states, all of them had been helpful in resolving the issues right of ways. We are particularly grateful to them on behalf of the Minister for their cooperation, and they should continue partnering with us in order to give power supply to the teeming Nigerians who need this power it badly.”
Adewumi, who also frowned at the way some people do vandalise critical infrastructure said, “We even had worrisome spate of vandalism here in Ondo state. This particular project, there was a time vandals brought welding machine to bring out about three towers that were already inherited but the NSCDC were able to arrest them, and as I’m taking to you they were in the police custody for awaiting prosecution.
“So, we want to use this medium to appeal to the good people of Ondo state that we cannot continue to allow critical infrastructure to be vandalised every time. Each time we had vandalism, it is like we are setting ourselves back. You can imagine the cost of this substation with the transmission line. We want to appeal that all federal government critical infrastructure that passes through their community should be taken care of very well. Everybody wants power but how can we have power supply when vandals destroy our critical infrastructure?”
