Technical participants at a recently concluded energy management solutions for transmission and distribution customers, have submitted that due to lack of strategic investments in the sub sector over the years, it will take the economy more time to get there.
While agreeing that digitalisation is critical and very key for any country, the experts maintained that without a digitalised network, problems won’t be detected properly in the power distribution value chain.
To them, without proper detection using digitization system, would always give a command for interruption and then endless break in the power supply network.
Explaining more on the value chain of digitilised power system, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), of Siemens Nigeria, Onyeche Tifase said the network in Nigeria hasn’t been fully enabled to allow for digital communication; hence the inability to send and receive information on the power system requires deployment of certain devices across the entire distribution infrastructure. “And we do not have that in place.”
She remarked further that Nigeria is still at a face where mechanical or basic automated solutions are used, adding that “We really need to have a network that is completely fully enabled to send and receive information, but that is not available across the full grid.”
Tifase regretted that the issue of cash flow in the country’s power system has hindered the Distribution Companies (Discos) from important investments as stated in their five-year strategic plan.
“Siemens is however dialoguing with the Discos, and we have presently invested in two of them to enhance the transparency of grid. We are therefore doing power studies of their networks to provide an outlook that could last between five to 15 years,” she added.
Tifase regretted that the issue of cash flow in the country’s power system has hindered the Discos from important investments as stated in their five-year strategic plan.
“Siemens is however dialoguing with the Discos, and we have presently invested in two of them to enhance the transparency of grid. We are therefore doing power studies of their networks to provide an outlook that could last between five to 15 years,” she added.
But in what looked like a soft landing for Nigeria, the Digital Grid Automation Products Manager, Siemens India, Ashvini Kumar Tiwari, recalled that his nation, India faced Nigeria’s current power problems too, but utilities and industries need to come out with an investment plan to factor in an intelligent system just like India did. “And I am sure the same success outcome would be recorded.”
She noted that “Investments in power generation, transmission and distribution is a huge one already, but it won’t make sense if nothing is invested to protect that structure, it is system advancement and its investment is lesser.”
