BUSINESS DAY
The federal government, as part of the effort towards ensuring the stability of the national grid, is considering the establishment of separate grids to serve Nigerians at the regional levels.
Adebayo Adelabu, the minister of power, disclosed this in a press conference organised by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) in Abuja on Tuesday. According to him, these regional or state grids will ensure that all parts of the country are not affected by sudden disturbances on the grid.
This follows the period of grid collapse which rocked the country recently, affecting livelihoods and businesses.
“Given the weakness, dilapidation and obsolescence of the existing grid, we believe that we need a backup grid that will serve as a failover option to the existing grid. If anything happens to the existing grid, there will be a backup option. There will be a failover option, which is an alternative route for transmitting power.
“And this is likened to you having an expressway, just a single line leading to a particular destination. If there is a breakdown in that single lane, it’s a problem.
There are no alternatives but once you have an alternative, you just redirect your route and you get your destination as planned. If you have this super grid, which is what exists in advanced countries, it will reduce the absolute reliance on the single national grid and this is receiving support from Mr. President.
“And that will bring an end to grid disturbances or grid collapse. This will ensure that we also create alternative routes. It won’t be just a single route to transmit power to a particular location.
There will be alternative routes once you add the super grid,” he explained.
When we have this, as we say, approval, we go to the Federal Executive Council and get the approval. And we start this. And we’ve got investors and financiers for this project.
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