As part of its drive for increased Grid visibility, reliability, and transparency within the electricity value chain in Nigeria, Transmission Company of Nigeria, (TCN), has embarked on an aggressive digital transformation of its operations using internal homegrown solutions and vendor-procured applications.

The initiative is aimed at enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of firm-wide operations with new platforms and tools, while upgrading existing systems, and automating routine tasks.

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of TCN, Engr. Dr. Sule Ahmed Abdulaziz made this known during a presentation at the opening ceremony of the 9th Edition of Nigeria Energy and Exhibition Conference with the theme: “Discovering Opportunities in the Nigerian Power Sector,” on Tuesday, 20 September 2022, in Lagos. 

The Regional Transmission Manager of Lagos Region of TCN, Engr. Ajiboye Oluwagbenga who represented the MD/CEO disclosed that prior to this time, grid control management was done through manual logs and exchange of emails. This he said, affected the smooth operations of the system, as only 6 out of 27 generators were visible to the National Control Centre (NCC).

According to the MD/CEO, for effective grid management and control, it was imperative for the Grid Controllers at NCC to see all parts of the grid and to accurately gauge situations on the grid in order to take necessary measures to guarantee grid stability and reliability.

Engr. Abdulaziz explained that TCN Management while waiting for the completion of the SCADA/EMS which will improve visibility level, decided to innovate by tasking her engineers to come up with a short-gap solution.

According to him, “Our Engineers came up with an in-house design that leverages on “Internet of Things (IoT)” to get data in near real-time from all the generators and some substations. Currently, almost all the generators on the grid are visible while we have substantially increased the number of transmission substations equally visible to NCC,” he noted.

He said that as part of the digital transformation drive, TCN has reactivated its web- portal NSONG used for skeletal exchange of information. In his words, “We upgraded the NSONG portal to improve transparency. We built a Generation Dispatch Tool (GDT) and Distribution Dispatch Tool (DDT) for Generators, and Distribution Companies, to further enhance the ability of the NCC Grid Controllers to interact seamlessly and transparently,” he said.

He noted that the platform has provided operational and guidance instructions for dispatch to GenCos & DisCos in order to ensure transparent and seamless communication within the electricity grid. This, he noted, has made it possible for all activities and interactions between stakeholders to be logged in for the purpose of analysis, planning, and dispute resolution.

Engr. Abdulaziz further explained that GDT has assisted in the monitoring of generation performance, distribution load profile and matching of DisCo load profile to Generation availability and vice versa.

He reiterated the commitment of TCN to transmitting bulk electricity in a very efficient manner. In line with this, he said TCN was in the process of building two state-of-the-art control centers in Osogbo and Gwagwalada to house new SCADA/EMS infrastructure. He pledged that until they were completed, the in-house engineers would continue to innovate to meet the expectations of the DisCos, GenCos, and the Regulator.

The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Power, Mr. Temitope Fashedemi, FNIM, represented the Minister of Power, Engr. Abubakar Aliyu at the event, which featured high-level keynote sessions, panel discussions, and insightful information on gas-to-power capacity, decarbonization increasing electrification, and securing capital for power projects.