The Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, has commissioned upgraded Apapa Road 132/33kV Transmission Substation.
The facility was commissioned by the Honourable Minister of Power, Mr. Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe.
The Minister said the commissioning transcends the completion of an engineering project but an investment in one of the most economically consequential corridors in our country. It is a deliberate strengthening of the arteries through which the Nigerian economy moves.
He noted that Apapa is not an ordinary electricity load centre, it is one of the commanding heights of the Nigerian economy.
“Within this corridor sits a concentration of port operations, maritime services, logistics businesses, manufacturing facilities, warehouses, commercial enterprises and supporting industries whose activities reach far beyond Lagos State” he noted.
He explained that the history of the facility also tells an important story about the evolution of our electricity infrastructure.
Going down memory lane, he said, the original Apapa Road GIS Substation was commissioned in 1985 and for many years provided reliable electricity to Apapa and its surrounding communities.
“Over time, however, the infrastructure aged. Following the decommissioning of the original GIS facility, the station had to depend temporarily on an outdoor 60MVA transformer. That arrangement could not represent the future of an economic corridor as important as Apapa. The Federal Government therefore secured the support of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) under its Official Development Assistance (ODA) programme for the rehabilitation and reinforcement of the existing 132/33/11kV Apapa Road Transmission Substation. This responsible move has culminated into what stands before us today for commissioning. It comprises of a modern Gas Insulated Substation (GIS), equipped with two 60MVA, 132/33kV power transformers; a new 132kV and 33kV GIS switchgear; a new control building; modern protection and control systems; and Substation Automation Systems (SAS)/ SCADA infrastructure that will enable more efficient operation and monitoring of this critical asset” he explained.
“Most importantly, the new facility has increased bulk power availability within this axis by approximately 96 megawatts” he stated.
Also speaking at the event, Engr. Sule Ahmed Abdulaziz, the Managing Director / CEO said with the installation and energisation of the two new 60MVA power transformers, alongside the deployment of modern Gas Insulated Switchgear (GIS), the capacity of this substation has tripled, from 60MVA to 180MVA.
“This translates to a significant increase in the quantum of bulk power available for Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) to offtake for onward delivery to its customers in Apapa Causeway, Ijora, Amukoko, Ajegunle, Apapa Wharf, Tin Can Island, and other critical commercial zones within EKEDC’s franchise area. This has also positively impacted quality of supply, while contributing to the economic productivity of Lagos State and the nation at large” he said.
“The project was delivered by Takaoka Engineering Co. Ltd., the Japanese engineering and construction firm responsible for the design, supply, installation, and rehabilitation works under the Emergency Rehabilitation and Reinforcement of Lagos Transmission Substations project, of which this substation upgrade forms a key component. The Grant Agreement between the Federal Government of Nigeria and JICA was signed on 23rd November, 2018, while project implementation commenced in 2019 following preparatory surveys and grant mobilisation by Yachiyo Engineering Co. Ltd” he noted.
According to him, this achievement underscores TCN’s unwavering commitment to the modernisation of the nation’s transmission network, reduction of technical losses, and the stabilisation of the national grid to support economic growth across the country.
