Blackout Threat in Abuja as TCN Warns AEDC of Disconnection

Abuja faces a potential blackout as TCN warns AEDC of a grid disconnection. Understand the reasons behind this threat and its implications.

TCN announced on Friday that due to its non-compliance with certain market regulations, AEDC may be at risk of being suspended from the national grid.

An official statement by TCN has revealed that AEDC failed to furnish the required bank guarantee to the Market Operator (MO), as specified in Section 15.3.3 of market regulations, resulting in a suspension notice being issued with five business days given for rectification or risking disconnection.

AEDC must comply, or a potential disconnection scheduled for midnight on July 28 may result in the darkness of Abuja and its surrounding regions.

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The Market Operator, Ali Bukar Ahmad, conveyed the series of cautionary messages that were given to AEDC: “A number of notifications had been sent by MO regarding market rule violations committed by AEDC. These included a request for satisfaction of prudential obligations on February 13th, 2024; an alert about default events on March 22nd, 2024; and a notice specifying intent to enforce suspension order on April 8th, 2024.”

AEDC was warned, but failed to take corrective measures. As a result, TCN has suspended AEDC from the MO Administered Electricity Market and prohibited any new contracts or agreements with them for the duration of this suspension period.

AEDC must present a satisfactory bank guarantee in the next five business days to prevent imminent disconnection. Not complying with this requirement may result in partial or complete grid disconnection, as specified by Section 45 of market regulations.

If AEDC fails to take appropriate action, the capital and surrounding areas will experience a complete power outage as the situation remains highly critical.