LASERC visits TCN facilities over Lagos power outages

By Adebola Muili

The Lagos State Electricity Regulatory Commission (LASERC) has inspected key facilities of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) in a bid to identify and address transmission and distribution constraints affecting electricity supply across the state.

The Commission’s inspection of the Akangba and Ijora substations followed complaints from Distribution Companies (DisCos) linking some supply constraints and localised outages to ongoing transmission rehabilitation and upgrade works, as well as load-shedding necessitated by limitations on the transmission network.

The development was contained in a statement issued on Tuesday by the Public Affairs Officer of LASERC, Temidayo Shokoya, who said the exercise was part of the Commission’s efforts to better understand the technical and operational challenges affecting electricity supply in Lagos.

Speaking during the inspection, LASERC Chief Executive Officer, Mrs Temitope George, said the Commission was engaging stakeholders across the electricity value chain to establish the causes of the constraints and ensure that consumers receive the level of service expected of the industry.

George said the upgrade of the Amuwo substation was about 80 per cent complete, stressing that sustained investment in both transmission and distribution infrastructure was necessary to remove bottlenecks and maximise available network capacity.

“We are here on a fact-finding mission in response to complaints from DisCos regarding supply constraints associated with TCN’s ongoing upgrade projects,” she said.

During the technical walkthrough, TCN officials briefed the LASERC team on the operational capacity of the facilities, ongoing maintenance activities and challenges affecting the network.

At Akangba, TCN Area Control Coordinator, Engr. Ishaku Magaji, explained how generation availability, transmission capacity and DisCo load requests are managed, noting that load reductions were sometimes necessary to maintain system stability.

He said such reductions could become necessary during periods of low generation or when faults were being isolated and cleared.

Also speaking, Operations Engineer for the Akangba 330kV section, Engr. Gabriel Idam, highlighted the substation’s dual-line feeding arrangements and transformer redundancy.

Idam, however, said the ability to fully utilise available transmission capacity depended largely on the capacity of downstream 11kV and 33kV distribution networks.

On the rehabilitation and expansion of the transmission network, TCN Acting AGM/Assistant Manager, Engr. Seyi Onasanya, said the company was working to resolve equipment constraints and complete critical projects aimed at improving electricity supply to major industrial, commercial and residential areas in Lagos.

He listed mobile transformer deployments and system-link upgrades among measures being undertaken to improve the flexibility and reliability of the network.

The inspection also highlighted the need for closer coordination between the transmission and distribution segments of the electricity value chain.

LASERC Executive Member, Engineering and Standards, Engr. Olopade Adekunle, said available transmission capacity must be supported by adequate downstream distribution infrastructure and effective operational coordination.

“Our findings indicate that available transmission capacity must be matched by adequate downstream distribution capacity and effective coordination,” Adekunle said.

He identified load pickup, feeder capacity, network standards and protection coordination as areas requiring attention.

Adekunle also called for stronger public awareness against vandalism and theft of electricity infrastructure, warning that damage to critical cables, equipment or protection devices could disrupt supply to entire communities and delay restoration.

“We also need sustained public awareness on the consequences of infrastructure vandalism and cable theft,” he said.

Meanwhile, Acting General Manager, TCN Lagos Region, Engr. Mrs Funmi Ikoko, assured the LASERC delegation of TCN’s continued cooperation with the Commission and DisCos in addressing identified network constraints and improving coordination across the sector.

The inspection forms part of LASERC’s wider regulatory efforts to strengthen collaboration among electricity market participants and tackle technical and operational challenges affecting power supply across Lagos.

The Commission also reaffirmed its commitment to monitoring compliance with applicable regulatory requirements and Service Level Agreements (SLAs), while facilitating joint technical engagements and inspections of other critical facilities, including the Lekki and Alagbon substations.

LASERC said the engagements were aimed at developing a clearer understanding of the constraints affecting electricity supply and ensuring practical measures were implemented across the transmission and distribution networks to improve reliability for residents, businesses and industries in Lagos State.