Page 8 - AfrElec Week 44 2020

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Nigeria’s 2020 grid losses worth $632mn

NIGERIA NIGERIA’S transmission losses between Jan- and minimise corruption, as well as providing
uary and October were valued at NGN243bn technical know-how and generation and trans-
($632mn), the country’s Association of Power mission equipment.
Generation Companies (APGC) said. The government has established innovative
Current available generating capacity reached financing and co-operation models under the
7,739MW, although only up to 4,532.35MW Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP).
was able to be sent to the grid in October. This These include the President Power Initiative
meant that stranded generation, that is power (PPI), the Transmission Rehabilitation and
plant potential that cannot be send to the grid, Expansion Programme (TREP) and the Nige-
amounted to 3,578MW during the same month, ria Electrification Project (NEP) infrastructure
the Vanguard reported. construction.
The APGC said that the biggest challenge The PPI was launched in July 2019 after an
facing the power sector as well as the electricity agreement between the Nigerian government
generation sub-sector was load rejection by dis- and Siemens.
tribution companies (discos). The project aims to upgrade existing equip-
According to APGC, the highest generating ment such as power substations, as well as install
output in October was posted on October 29, distribution lines and transformers on the coun-
with 4,532.35MW. The lowest, on October 7, was try’s power grid. Siemens plans to upgrade Nige-
3,618.58MW. ria’s transmission capacity to 7,000MW during
The maximum stranded generation was the first phase of the project.
recorded on October 6, when it reached The TREP aims to upgrade the existing
4,401.5MW (Gas: 1,717.5 and discos low load installations as well as add more transmission
demand: 2,684MW). infrastructure such as power lines and electric
“Average generation for October 2020 of transmission corridors, among others.
4,162MW represents the maximum monthly The French Development Agency (AFD),
generation in the year 2020. Of the total con- the Japanese International Cooperation Agency
straint recorded, gas constraint accounted for (JICA) and the European Union are all pro-
47.5%, while load rejection by discos accounted viding support. A number of projects are cur-
for 52.5%,” the APGC said. rently in development or due to be launched,
The figures make for worrying reading, con- including the construction of a $29mn, 330-kV,
sidering that the government aims to raise capac- 62-km long transmission line, which will be
ity to 25,000MW by 2025. built between Birnin Kebbi and the Nigeria-Ni-
Abuja has secured $6.15bn to fund major ger border. Other projects include the $200mn
power sector infrastructure projects to meet this Lagos-Ogun Transmission Infrastructure Pro-
target. ject, the $170mn Abuja Transmission Ring
Siemens has been chosen to manage many of Scheme and the $274mn Northern Corridor
the projects in a bid to improve managements Transmission project.™

METERING

Nigeria marks metering milestone

NIGERIA NIGERIA’S National Mass Metering Pro- The news brings the total number of meters
gramme (NMMP) has already procured 1mn contracted based on the metering gap at the
new meters, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory commencement of the country’s Meter Asset
Commission (NERC) said this week. Providers (MAP) regulation to 6,324,971 units.
Ikeja Disco (IKEDC) tops the list with an Out of the 1mn meters earmarked across
approved meter allocation of 106,701 units all the discos, 347,665 units are from available
(10.7%). inventories with the pre-qualified MAPs in all
Other discos to receive meters include the discos, while 652,335 units are to be sourced
IBEDC with 103,997 units (10.4%) and AEDC locally from the same MAPs.
with 101,186 units (10.1%). PHEDC got the least The allocation of meters is taking place as part
of 77,070 units (7.7%). of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) financed
The allocation of the meters to the discos was National Mass Metering Programme (NMMP).
based on 80% of the 1mn meters being shared The key objectives of the NMMP include
equally amongst all the discos, while 20% was increasing Nigeria’s metering rate, elimination
based on the contracted metering gap of each of of arbitrary estimated billing, strengthening
the discos. the local meter value chain by increasing local

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