TCN records 3,714 outages, unveils platform to track transmission failures
0
0
TCN records 3,714 outages, unveils platform to track transmission failures
By Alabidun Shuaib AbdulRahman
The Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN has unveiled a new Load and Outage Analytics platform capable of tracking transmission network outages, analysing load losses and improving accountability in the power sector.
The platform, developed in-house by the TCN Operations Department, was unveiled during a technical presentation and live demonstration held at the company’s corporate headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday.
INCNews247 reports that the initiative followed concerns over fragmented outage data, slow manual reporting and the difficulty of obtaining timely information required for effective management of the national transmission network.
READ ALSO: NITDA DG to Jigawa: Stop relying on FAAC, harness youth, resources
Presenting the platform, the General Manager, Operations, TCN, Engr. Godwin Afamefuna Aguiyi, said the company’s existing reliability reporting system relied heavily on spreadsheets maintained across different regions.
He said the practice resulted in delays, inconsistencies in the computation of key performance indicators and the absence of a comprehensive audit trail.
Aguiyi said the new platform was designed to address the challenges by providing a unified system for monitoring load and outage information across the country.
According to him, the Streamlit-based application has 13 modules covering region, station, transformer and feeder-level load analysis, while automatically classifying outages and generating reliability reports.
He added that the system could produce management and board-level reports within minutes, instead of the days required under the existing manual process.
Demonstrating the platform with July 2026 data, Aguiyi disclosed that 3,714 outages were recorded nationwide during the month, resulting in 48,603 megawatt-hours of load lost.
He said the Lagos region alone accounted for 20,693MWh of the recorded loss, with 572 emergency outages, 306 forced outages and 129 planned outages.
The TCN official further disclosed that 22 feeders exceeded the allowable outage hours during the period, with the associated losses valued at N720.33m.
Giving an example, he said the Obosi feeder in Onitsha recorded a loss of 1,063.74MWh at Band A rates.
He, however, clarified that the figures were based on raw submissions from TCN’s regional teams and were intended to provide a working basis for cross-checking with the official release of the Nigerian Independent System Operator for the same period.
He also stressed that the feeder-level outage figures represented the segment for which TCN was accountable in July, distinguishing it from outages attributable to electricity distribution companies.
The platform also incorporates the Fault Attribution Ratio, a regulatory framework used to determine responsibility for service interruptions between TCN and the DisCos.
Aguiyi explained that under the applicable Service Level Agreement, TCN’s allowable downtime responsibility was 30 per cent, while DisCos accounted for 70 per cent.
He stressed that the figures did not represent a blanket 30:70 attribution for every outage, noting that each interruption was assessed separately based on the fault type and the network segment responsible.
According to him, the arrangement is designed to establish clear responsibility and compensation while improving accountability among electricity market participants.
He said the platform could also facilitate monitoring of transmission losses if deployed nationwide alongside the required interface energy measurement devices.
Earlier, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of TCN, Engr. Sule Ahmed Abdulaziz, represented by the General Manager, Project Coordination, Engr. Aminu Tahir, commended the Operations Department for developing the technology.
Abdulaziz said although the system was not yet fully deployed, it had already provided greater visibility into the transmission network.
He identified technical and commercial losses as major concerns affecting the performance of the transmission company and stressed the need for better understanding of load patterns and supply-demand relationships.
The TCN boss said improved load management and grid stability would help reduce outages, improve operational efficiency and cut the cost associated with prolonged interruptions.
He added that effective control and maintenance of the transmission system would contribute significantly to reducing losses and strengthening the stability of the national grid.
The Executive Director, Human Resources and Corporate Services, TCN, Mrs Abiodun Afolabi-Fadahunsi, also pledged management’s support for technical teams working to maintain national grid stability.
Afolabi-Fadahunsi said engineers and system operators needed adequate tools and resources to perform their responsibilities effectively, adding that management was monitoring daily grid reports to identify and address operational challenges in real time.
The Operations Department recommended the nationwide deployment of the analytics platform, integration of Internet of Things technology for real-time data capture and upgrades to infrastructure, including computer systems, display screens and internet connectivity at transmission stations.
The development, according to TCN, represents a major step towards replacing fragmented manual outage reporting with a centralised, data-driven approach to transmission network management.
