Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — The Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, has begun the rehabilitation of two major transmission corridors supplying electricity from the Afam power axis, in a move aimed at improving grid capacity and stabilising power supply in the South-South.
The project covers the 38.6-kilometre Afam IPP–Port Harcourt and the 20.8-kilometre Afam IPP–Elelenwo 132kV double-circuit transmission lines, both of which are critical to evacuating power from the Afam Independent Power Plants into the national grid.
Contractors were formally mobilised during a handover ceremony at the weekend, marking the commencement of the reconductoring works.
General Manager, Transmission Services, Engr. Ali Sharifai, said the 12-month rehabilitation project became necessary due to the ageing condition of the transmission infrastructure, which has gradually reduced wheeling capacity over time.
“The project has become imperative because the existing conductors have aged significantly, leading to diminished transmission efficiency and reduced wheeling capacity,” Sharifai said.
Also speaking, General Manager, Transmission, Port Harcourt Region, Engr. Akpa Emmanuel, described the lines as strategic assets in Nigeria’s power value chain, noting their role in evacuating bulk electricity from the Afam Power Plants.
“These lines are central to transmitting power generated from the Afam Power Plants to the national grid,” Akpa said. “Once rehabilitated, they will significantly improve the reliability and stability of power supply within Port Harcourt and the wider region.”
According to him, the reconductoring works will strengthen grid resilience, reduce transmission losses and support improved power delivery as generation from the Afam axis increases.
TCN said the rehabilitation aligns with ongoing efforts to modernise ageing transmission infrastructure and enhance the capacity of the national grid to efficiently wheel generated power to distribution networks.
