The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has said it can currently transmit not more than 62.3 per cent of the about 13,000MW of electricity generated.
Disclosing this during a news conference in Port Harcourt yesterday, TCN’s General Manager for Port Harcourt Region, Dr Thomas Inugonum, said the transmission firm transmits 8,100MW of the total 13,000MW.
“We are supposed to be able to transmit about 15,000MW, but we are unable to meet this capacity due to weak and ageing infrastructure. Some of the infrastructures were constructed over 50 years ago.”
He lamented incessant attacks on TCN’s facilities and called on the media to create awareness of the consequences of destroying those facilities. “In some of our stations, vandals have cut earth-conductors of big transformers that cost about N800 million resulting in the ‘floating’ of the facility.”
TheGuardian quoted Inugonum stating that the projects have been ongoing for almost 20 years in Imo and other places that could not be completed partly because of vandalism.
“We do not understand why people vandalise our facilities considering the importance of power supply to economic activities.
“If transmission power lines are vandalised, and in the process, it falls on top of about 100 houses, no occupant of those houses would survive,’’ he noted.
He stressed that daily attacks on TCN facilities in Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Imo and Rivers negatively impacted efforts to supply uninterrupted electricity.
“In just two months, we have lost several of our transmission lines in Odukpani (Cross River) and in Elelenwo in Rivers.
“A 60mva cost about N1.2 billion, while a span of 132kv of our transmission line cost about 330,000 dollars, making our losses unquantifiable and humongous when vandalised.
“Unfortunately, people vandalise facilities worth billions of naira only to melt the metals to construct gates, pots, and cups. It is just wickedness,’’ Inugonum lamented.
He said 23 power projects were at various stages of completion in the six states of Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Imo and Rivers.
