French agency pumps $300m into power transmission projects in Nigeria

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has revealed that the French Development Agency (FDA) has given support of about $300 million to power transmission projects in the country.

According to TCN, the board of the agency approved $245m for power transmission infrastructure in Nigeria’s Northern corridor and was also assisting the construction of the Sokoto-Kaura Namoda-Katsina 330kV double circuit line with the sum of $55 million.

The TCN further noted that this is aside from the €25 million earlier approved by the European Union for part of the Northern corridor project under the AFD support programme, adding that the approval of the project by the AFD and EU was a significant step towards establishing a modern electricity grid in Nigeria.

The TCN also added that it had continued to implement its Transmission Rehabilitation and Expansion Programme that sought to rehabilitate, stabilise and provide necessary redundancy consistent with international standard N-1.

This, it said, would further expand the national grid to at least 20,000 megawatts.

According to it, the implementation of TREP had attracted significant support from multilateral and bilateral donors, adding that key international donors supporting the programme were AFD, World Bank, African Development Bank and Japan International Cooperation.

TCN’s General Manager Public Affairs, Ndidi Mbah, said the Northern corridor, which was expected to form the backbone for the West African Power Pool North Core, would connect Nigeria, Niger Republic, Republic of Benin and Burkina Faso on 330kV double circuit transmission line.

“It is also expected to construct the Kainji-Birnin-Sokoto 330kV DC line, Katsina-Daura-Gwiwa-Jogana-Kura 330kV DC line and reconstruct one of the Shiroro-Kaduna 330kV single circuit transmission lines into 330kV quad line which will be the first of its kind in Nigeria,” she added.

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Continuing, the transmission company said the Northern corridor project will see to the construction of 330/132/33kV substations in Sokoto, Daura and Jogana-Kano, as well as 132/33kV substations at Birnin Gwari, Argungu and Lambata in Niger State.

“It will equally rehabilitate Jebba and Kainji switch yards to ensure adequate capacity to evacuate mainstream’s power generation company’s expansion plans,” TCN stated.

It noted that with the support of the Federal Ministry of Finance, the AFD was also assisting the construction of Sokoto-Kaura Namoda-Katsina 330kV DC line which would lead to the closure of the 330kV loop in the sum of $55m.

TCN said it had commenced preparation for the Sokoto-Kaura Namoda-Katsina line and 330/132/33kV substation project at Kaura Namoda.

It also stated that the project, when completed, would provide the necessary flexibility and redundancy as well as improve bulk power supply to all the states in the North-West and parts of the North-Central states.

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