By Gloria Akudoro
In a strategic effort to enhance grid stability and mitigate power system disturbances, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has inaugurated a Network Monitoring System Development Committee. The committee’s primary objective is to design and implement an advanced monitoring system equipped with integrated data analysis and real-time operational awareness capabilities to ensure optimization of generation and transmission resources in our grid operations.
A statement by Ndidi Mbah, GM, Public Affairs, of TCN, disclosed that at the committee’s inauguration, the “Executive Director, Independent System Operations (ISO), Engr. (Mrs) Nafisat Ali highlighted the importance of this initiative. She noted that the System Operator is responsible for managing the entire power system network, which includes planning and monitoring operations. However, the current manual operation poses challenges in terms of visibility and tracking the activities of various stakeholders. Engr. Nafisat mentioned that the increasing complexity of the power system necessitates the development of a comprehensive Network Monitoring System.”
The statement added that the Committee Chairman, Engr. Ojo Thomas Oladeji, who is also the Assistant General Manager (Research) at ISO, noted that TCN’s in-house engineers have proficiently maintained the system with locally developed solutions. He also mentioned that the committee intends to leverage the capabilities of Phase Measuring Units (PMU) along with existing IoT data to meet its goals.
It said that the eight-member committee will employ domestic technologies, including the Internet of Things (IoT), to develop the Network Monitoring System. This system will be operational prior to the completion of the ongoing work on the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) System and will subsequently serve as a backup.
The comprehensive deployment of IoT throughout the grid network, coupled with the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) tools across generation, transmission, and distribution data processing, will significantly enhance the project’s success