Power Sector News and Other Related News Stories For Wednesday September 7th 2022
TCN Committed to Power Restoration in Calabar
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has said its engineers are working assiduously to restore power supply to Calabar, after a substation was gutted by fire.
General Manager, Public Affairs, TCN, Mrs Ndidi Mbah, made this known in a statement in Abuja.
Mbah said the fire occurred on Saturday at its Adiabo 330/132/33 KiloVolt (kV) Substation in Cross River State.
“Presently, TCN engineers are replacing the affected equipment to ensure the restoration of power to affected areas.
“Supply will be restored as soon as equipment affected by the incident is replaced, most likely, Monday evening. Investigation into the cause of the incident is already ongoing,” she said.
The TCN apologised for every inconvenience to the government and electricity customers in the State, pledging to do all it could to ensure quick restoration of bulk supply to the area.
https://www.thetidenewsonline.com/2022/09/07/tcn-committed-to-power-restoration-in-calabar/
1,936 Mw Unutilized by Discos Despite Blackouts – FG
Recent data on the daily Discos load summary from the Federal Ministry of Power has shown that eleven power distribution companies in Nigeria failed to utilise a total of 1,936.26 megawatts of electricity in one week amidst the country’s limited power generation.
The figures revealed that the companies were unable to use the 1,936.26MW between August 13 to 19, 2022 due to various issues such as electricity theft, poor payment of bills, etc, in the distribution subsector.
The unutilised power was the difference between the electricity load allocated to the firms and their actual consumption.
An analysis from Punch showed that a total of 208.44 MW, were not utilized on August 13, while they did not distribute 364.11 MW on August 14.
On August 15, 16 and 17, the quantum of unutilised load by the Discos in each of the days were 444.4MW, 216.86MW and 466.3MW respectively.
However, on August 18, only 1.47MW of electricity was recorded as unutilised load by Port Harcourt Disco, while the other 10 Discos received and distributed a cumulative excess load allocation of 656.76MW on the same day.
https://www.naijanews.com/2022/09/06/1936-mw-unutilized-by-discos-despite-blackouts-fg/
After Ultimatum Expiration, Electricity Workers Threaten to Resume Strike
Members of the National Association of Electricity Employees (NUEE) have threatened to resume their suspended strike following the failure of the federal government to meet their demands.
In its appraisal of the suspended strike, the union said the government was yet to meet their demands two weeks after it agreed to do so.
The union had on August 17, 2022, suspended its strike as the government called for truce and promised to address their grievances.
However, the union alleged that the government was yet to live up to its words and threatened to call out its members for another industrial action.
NUEE berated the government over the privatisation of the power sector since October 2013.
Addressing newsmen in Owerri, the Imo State capital, the union’s zonal secretary in the South East/South South States, comrade Ugboaja Joseph Emeka, said since the privatisation of the sector in October 2013, electricity workers under NUEE had been in the forefront of speaking on behalf of Nigerians.
https://leadership.ng/after-ultimatum-expiration-electricity-workers-threaten-to-resume-strike/
Total Blackout Looms as Electricity Workers Threaten to Resume Strike
Nigerians are likely to be thrown into a complete blackout in the country as electricity workers are considering a nationwide industrial action to press home their demands from the Federal Government.
This is coming barely three weeks after electricity workers under the aegis of the National Union of Electricity Employees, NUEE, and Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies, SSAEC suspended their nationwide strike.
According to Vanguard, there are indications that the workers might resume the suspended strike due to the alleged unwillingness of the government to resolve issues of unpaid entitlements to former workers of the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN.
Though the Federal Government is meeting with the workers’ representatives to resolve the issues today, it is reported that the government agencies including the Bureau of Public Enterprise (BPE) are shying away from the payment of the benefits, among other pending entitlements.
Kebbi Spends N600m on Electrification Projects
Governor Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi said his administration has spent over N600 million on procurement of electrical equipment to enhance uninterrupted power supply in the North West State.
Bagudu made this known when the Chairman, Board of Directors, Kaduna Electric Distribution Company (KEDCO), Alhaji Abbas Muhammad-Jega, paid him a courtesy visit, Tuesday in Yola.
“This administration has spent over N600 million on refurbishment of old and faulty electrical equipment, including transformers to improve and maintain uninterrupted electricity supply,” he said.
Bagudu, represented by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Alhaji Babale Umar-Yauri said the state government accorded priority to electricity supply for sustainable economic development.
He commended KEDCO for ensuring regular power supply to the state, adding that, “my administration sponsored 25 students for studies on electrical engineering and have completed their course as professional electricians.
https://theeagleonline.com.ng/kebbi-spends-n600m-on-electrification-projects/?amp=1
Again, Electricity Workers Threaten Nationwide Strike
The National Union of Electricity Employees, NUEE, on Tuesday said they were ready to embark on another nationwide strike.
The Vice President of the Union, (East) Comrade Engr. Joe Oforka, alongside other executives the zonal Secretary of the Union in the South East/South South States, Comrade Ugboaja Joseph, disclosed this to newsmen in Owerri.
They alleged that the federal government after almost nine years has refused to pay entitlements of the some of the workers of the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN.
Also, they were angry that the two weeks given to the federal government to implement the 2019 agreement had elapsed.
According to them, “It is an undeniable truth that the Power Sector privatization has not added value to the lives of ordinary Nigerians. The entire exercise which could be described as a charade has not brought any meaningful impact/improvement for the people.
https://www.vanguardngr.com/2022/09/again-electricity-workers-threaten-nationwide-strike/
9 Years After, Electricity Union Faults Power Sector Privatization
Nine years after the privatisation of the country’s power sector, the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) has disclosed that the process has not met the expectations of Nigerians.
Recall that the power sector was privatised in November 2013, with six power generation plants and 11 electricity distribution companies handed over to the private sector. However, the Federal Government retained control of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).
Addressing a press conference in Jos, the Plateau state capital, the North-East Zonal Senior Organising Secretary of the union, Mr. Sikamta Mshelinga, lamented that the privatisation of the critical sector had not added value to the lives of ordinary Nigerians.
Mshelinga, who insisted that it had not made meaningful impact in power supply in the country, said: “It is an undeniable fact that the power sector privatisation has not added value to the lives of the ordinary Nigerians.
The entire exercise did not bring any meaningful impact or improvement on the sector; rather, it has brought so many setbacks to the nation. The infrastructural development by the new business owners in the sector has almost gone comatose while the socio-economic status of the average worker in the sector has continued to decline.
https://www.blueprint.ng/9-years-after-electricity-union-faults-power-sector-privatisation/
Bboxx Buys Pay-As-You-Go Solar Company PEG Africa
The acquisition, with undisclosed financial details, adds Senegal, Ivory Coast, Ghana and Mali to Bboxx’s operating markets, bringing their number to 10, and reinforces the company’s position as a clean energy provider in Africa with over 35 MW of installed solar capacity, according to an announcement on Tuesday.
PEG has reached one million people with its solar home systems in West Africa and has almost 100 service centres and over 500 employees. Its customers will join Bboxx’s operating system, Bboxx Pulse, in the first integration of a new company into the platform.
The deal comes as Bboxx is transitioning from providing mainly clean energy to a broader range of goods and services including solar home systems, clean cooking, smartphones and loans. In addition to gaining new customers and markets through the acquisition, Bboxx expects to benefit from PEG’s operational experience and credit capabilities
“In West Africa alone, there are over 150 million people with no access to electricity. By gaining access to new markets and utilising PEG’s impressive operational experience, we will strive to change that,” said Mansoor Hamayun, chief executive and co-founder of Bboxx.
https://renewablesnow.com/news/bboxx-buys-pay-as-you-go-solar-company-peg-africa-797187/
