TCN recovers 330 of its stranded power equipment containers
In the clearest evidence yet that Babatunde Fashola’s goal of achieving incremental power is on course, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) is taking delivery of 330 container load of transmission equipment out of about 907 held for over 6 years over non-payment of accumulated clearing charges.
At a ceremony marking the release of the containers at Duncan terminals in Apapa, Lagos, on November 23, the minister who spoke through Atiku Tambuwal, CEO of TCN, said that with the clearing of these consignments, contractors will move to site immediately and complete on-going priority projects.
An eight month long negotiations went into the effort that was able to persuade terminal operators to budge in national interest and grant TCN N2billion worth of concession in form of reduced charges and penalties to clear the consignments.
“A lot of hard work has been put into negotiations for the release of these power materials due to the accrued demurrage as a result of the suspension of issuance of Import Duty Exemption Certificate, for some period in 2014,” said Fashola.
In May this year, Fashola had said that a total of 907 containers loaded with transmission equipment at the country’s sea port have been ordered to be released to the TCN and its contractors by Buhari.
He said it would allow the TCN complete extant transmission projects which would see it grow its wheeling capacity to 20,000 megawatts (MW) of electricity within five years.
Negotiations began around February this year but could not progress at speedy pace due to late disbursement of funds to pay the negotiated penalty. This was due to delayed passage of the national budget.
Duncan Bonded Terminal alone had in its possession 295 of these containers, the highest, and agreed to release 77 in the first phase. Bawa Shitgurum, CEO of Duncan Maritime Ventures said their cooperation was out of patriotism and urged the Federal government to fix the deplorable Oshodi-Apapa Expressway.
Effiong Asuquo, Chairman House Committee on Power (Akamkpa/Biase , PDP) who was at the ceremony said the committee attached serious importance to power, hence it expedited action to ensure that funds were released to TCN to resolve the issue with the ship-owners and terminal operators.
“We are happy the funds have been used for the purpose and we will expedite action to release more funds towards this project,” he said.
Tambuwal could not give a specific time-frame for when improvement of power will be felt on account of the released TCN equipment, but assured it would be soon.
“This is one of the steps, a lot of these projects have been stalled for over 10 years because the materials and equipment are in the port but now that the containers are out, I can assure you that within a very short period of time, the contractors will install them and we will see the benefits in appreciable period of time,” Tambuwal said.
Some of the projects that will be restarted after this release include: construction of new Abeokuta-Igboora-Igangan double transmission line and 132kV double-circuit Tee-off at Igboora-Igangan, construction of 2X60MVA, 132/33Kv substation at Odogunyan.
Other projects include construction of 2X60MVA, 132/33Kv substation at Ayobo, Ikeja West Ayobo 132kV D/C transmission lines and 2X132kV line bays extension at Ikeja west.
It will also include construction of Benin North-Osogbo 330KV DC line with turning in and out to new Akure substation and 330KV D/C Kaduna Power Plant – Mando substation Transmission Line among others.
ISAAC ANYAOGU