…Dismisses ‘weak link’ accusation by Discos
Oscarline Onwuemenyi
01 September 2016, Sweetcrude, Abuja – The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has said it targets the completion 22 critical projects captured in the 2016 Federal Government budget before the end of the year.
The Managing Director and Chief executive of TCN, Engr. Abubakar Atiku, who stated this in a press briefing in Abuja, noted that resolve is part of efforts to meet President Muhammadu Buhari’s aspiration to achieve 10,000MW.
He said, “We have therefore planned our five-year expansion programme to ensure that by the year 2019, we meet up with President Muhammadu Buhari‘s aspiration for achieving 10,000MW.
“In the same vein, we are working assiduously to meet up with the Incremental Power Plan announced by the Honourable Minister of Power, such that by the end of 2016, we have increased our present wheeling capacity from 5,500MW to 6,000MW.”
According to him, “We planned to realize this from the completion of 22 critical projects captured in the 2016 Federal Government budget. We hope to increase our capacity, thereafter to 7500MW with completion of about 31 projects by the end of year 2017.”
Atiku, who spoke in company of the TCN Executive Directors, took a swipe at some of the electricity distribution companies accusing them of unnecessarily rejecting power supplied to them and turning back to describe the TCN and the weak link in electricity supply value chain.
According to him, the TCN has mapped out strategies to boost its transmission or wheeling capability to 8200MW by the end of 2018.
He said the company intends to achieve this feat with the completion of eight new projects in the year 2018.
He noted that as part of efforts to realize the 10,000MW as envisaged in the year 2019, the company’s five-year expansion plan has 56 projects to be completed which will lead to a total wheeling capacity of 11,500MW by the year 2019.
“The plan has also been carefully developed with the aim of realizing an uninterrupted power supply with the realization of 20,000MW by the year 2022.
“The on-going and new projects to facilitate the achievement of the five-year expansion plan cannot be realized without adequate financial resources,” he stated.
Atiku noted that TCN would be better under the management of local team which took over from Canadian Manitoba Hydro International whose management contract terminated on July 31, 2016, assuring that all contracts entered will be executed in line with contractual obligation agreed by all parties entered into under Manitoba remain valid.
“Let me also reassure Nigerians and indeed international community, our stakeholders and international funding agencies that all commitments with Transmission Company of Nigeria under the management contractors remain valid and all contracts entered will be executed in line with contractual obligation agreed by all parties.
“On this note, l wish to allay the fears expressed in some quarters that with termination of the management, our concessionary loans and grants by multinational – funding agencies such as World Bank will be withdrawn.
“Let me make it categorically clear that, Power Holding Company of Nigefria (PHCN) and indeed TCN had been relating with these funding Agencies prior to the coming of the Management Contractor and will continue to relate in stronger terms with the Nigerian management in place,” he noted.
