Key Points
- Federal Government commissions new transmission projects at Apapa, Ijora, Lekki and Alausa.
- The projects add 840MVA of transformer capacity to the Lagos transmission network.
- TCN says the upgrades will increase bulk power available to EKEDC and IKEDC and improve grid stability.
Main Story
The Federal Government has commissioned transmission projects across four major substations in Lagos, adding 840MVA of transformer capacity to the transmission network.
The projects, inaugurated on Aug. 17 and 18 by the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, cover the Apapa, Ijora, Lekki and Alausa transmission substations.
The interventions are expected to increase the amount of bulk electricity that can be transmitted to the Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) and Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (IKEDC) for onward distribution to businesses, industries and households.
The projects include a 2x60MVA Gas Insulated Substation (GIS) at Apapa, two 100MVA transformers at Ijora, a 100MVA transformer at Alausa and three transformers at the Lekki Transmission Substation.
The Lekki project comprises a 300MVA, 330/132/33kV transformer and two 60MVA, 132/33kV transformers.
At the Lekki substation, the 330/132kV transformer capacity increased from 300MVA to 600MVA, while capacity at the 132/33kV level rose from 120MVA to 240MVA.
The upgrade will also provide nine new 33kV feeders for bulk power delivery into the EKEDC network.
Tegbe said the investment was aimed at ensuring that electricity infrastructure kept pace with the rapid residential, commercial and industrial development of the Lekki corridor.
He said the additional infrastructure would strengthen the reliability and availability of bulk electricity supplied to EKEDC for distribution across Lekki and neighbouring areas.
At Alausa, a new 100MVA, 132/33kV transformer raised the substation’s transformation capacity from 135MVA to 205MVA, equivalent to about 164MW.
The project also increased the bulk power available to IKEDC by 80MW for distribution to consumers within its franchise area.
Tegbe said strengthening the Alausa substation was important because of Ikeja’s concentration of businesses, government institutions, markets and other economic activities.
At Ijora, the upgrade increased the substation’s capacity from 90MVA to 230MVA, equivalent to about 184MW.
The minister said the additional capacity would improve electricity supply to Ijora, Costain, Oyingbo, Customs and surrounding communities.
The Apapa project involves a 2x60MVA GIS substation and is also expected to increase the volume of bulk power available to EKEDC.
The project was delivered by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) under its Official Development Assistance programme.
The Managing Director of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Sule Abdulaziz, said the projects would strengthen transmission capacity and help reduce technical losses across the Lagos network.
He said the additional capacity would enable TCN to wheel more electricity to distribution load centres, supporting improved grid stability.
Abdulaziz said the 840MVA now in service would provide additional bulk power for EKEDC and IKEDC to distribute to industries, businesses and households.
The projects therefore represent an expansion of transmission infrastructure in some of Lagos’ most economically active areas, although the additional transformer capacity does not itself represent 840MW of new electricity generation.
The extent to which the investments improve electricity supply to consumers will also depend on available generation and the capacity of the distribution networks to take and deliver the additional power.
The Issues
Lagos has significant electricity demand from industrial, commercial and residential users, making transmission constraints a major factor in how much available generation can reach distribution networks.
The new substations and transformers are intended to address some of those constraints by increasing the capacity to move bulk electricity towards major load centres.
For businesses, improved transmission capacity could support more reliable electricity supply and reduce some of the pressure that forces commercial and industrial users to rely heavily on alternative power sources.
What’s Being Said
“They represent targeted investments in capacity for businesses to grow, for industries to produce, and for communities to prosper.”
— Joseph Tegbe, Minister of Power
“Transformer capacity at the 330/132kV level has increased from 300MVA to 600MVA, equivalent to approximately 480 Megawatts (MW), while capacity at the 132/33kV level has risen from 120MVA to 240MVA, equivalent to approximately 192MW.”
— Joseph Tegbe, Minister of Power
“TCN can wheel to distribution load centres, thereby improving grid stability.”
— Sule Abdulaziz, Managing Director, TCN
What’s Next
TCN is expected to put the additional transmission capacity to use by supplying more bulk electricity to EKEDC and IKEDC for distribution within their networks.
The effectiveness of the projects will ultimately depend on the availability of generation and the ability of the distribution companies to deliver the additional electricity to end users.
Bottom Line
The commissioning of the Apapa, Ijora, Lekki and Alausa projects expands Lagos’ transmission capacity at strategic economic and residential centres. The 840MVA investment gives TCN greater capacity to move bulk electricity into the distribution network, but its impact on consumers will depend on generation and distribution capacity as well.
