Oscarline Onwuemenyi
30 August 2017, Sweetcrude, Abuja – The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company, AEDC, has refuted allegations that the electricity distribution companies or Discos were the weakest link in the Nigerian electricity value chain.
The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, made the claim recently, saying the greatest challenge on the path of the journey to improved power supply was the inability of the distribution companies to take all the power that can go on the grid.
According to Fashola, “Today’s improved gas suppley also coincides with the onset of the rains which gives us added power from the Hydros. The available power that can go on the Grid as at August 10, 2017 is 6,863 MW. The transmission capacity is at 6,700MW.
“The primary constraint at the moment is the inability of the distribution companies’ 33kV infrastructure to collect all the power that can be delivered at the 750 33kV delivery points at transmission substations and distribute the energy to paying customers”.
AEDC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Ahmed Shekarau, in response in Abuja, said that at no point in time had AEDC gotten up to capacity from the grid, adding that the Disco is only entitled to 11.5% of whatever is generated in line with the allocation formula.
“AEDC has improved its capacity to the extent that it can distribute up to 800MWs if allocated. However, in the past few months, AEDC allocation has from transmission has not for one hit 500MWs.
“For instance, AEDC’s highest allocation from the grid in June, 2017 was 473.49MWs, while the highest in July so far is 492.87MWs. So can anyone say we are not capable of carrying more power when we have a capacity that is far above what we are getting.
“However, I am only speaking for AEDC because we are 11 companies that distribute Power in the country, but I think the experience may not differ as much,” he said.
He urged the government to step up action in ensuring that the point where the lacuna is identified with a view to fixing it, adding that they as a Disco can do successful business by the more power they give to customers.
