Blackout looms in Abuja as TCN threatens to disconnect AEDC from grid

Blackout looms in Abuja as TCN threatens to disconnect AEDC from grid

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has issued a stark warning to the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) regarding non-compliance with market regulations.

On Friday, TCN announced that AEDC could face suspension from the national grid due to its failure to adhere to specific market rules.

In an official statement, TCN highlighted that AEDC has not provided the Market Operator (MO) with a required bank guarantee, as stipulated in Section 15.3.3 of the market regulations. This deficiency has prompted a suspension notice, giving AEDC five business days to rectify the issue or risk disconnection.

The potential disconnection, which could plunge Abuja and surrounding regions into darkness, is set for midnight on July 28 if AEDC does not comply.

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Ali Bukar Ahmad, the Market Operator, outlined the sequence of warnings issued to AEDC: “The MO had previously notified AEDC of its market rule violations in several communications, including a Request for Fulfillment of Prudential Requirement on February 13, 2024, a Notice of Event of Default on March 22, 2024, and a Notice of Intent to Issue a Suspension Order on April 8, 2024.”

Despite these warnings, AEDC has not taken the necessary corrective actions. Consequently, TCN has suspended AEDC from the MO Administered Electricity Market, barring any new contracts or agreements with AEDC during the suspension period.

To avoid the impending disconnection, AEDC must provide an adequate bank guarantee within the next five business days. Failure to do so could lead to either partial or complete disconnection from the grid, as outlined in Section 45 of the market rules.

The situation remains critical, and the next steps taken by AEDC will determine whether the capital and its environs will face a total blackout.

Blackout looms in Abuja as TCN threatens to disconnect AEDC from grid