Alausa Transformer Upgrade Raises Capacity by 70MVA, Adds 80MW Bulk Power to Ikeja
By Pan Afric Reporters
The Federal Government has commissioned a new 100MVA, 132/33kV power transformer at the Alausa Transmission Substation in Lagos, raising the facility’s total capacity from 135MVA to 205MVA and increasing bulk power available to the Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (IKEDC) by 80MW.
The Minister of Power, Mr. Joseph Tegbe, who commissioned the transformer on Tuesday on behalf of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, said the project represented a strategic investment aimed at strengthening electricity supply to Ikeja and its surrounding economic and administrative corridors.
Tegbe said the intervention was particularly significant because Alausa serves as a major hub for government institutions, businesses, industries, residential communities and other economic activities in Lagos.
“Today, we are commissioning a 100MVA, 132/33kV power transformer at the Alausa Transmission Substation, but the significance is beyond another engineering project milestone. It is a strategic investment in Ikeja, the nerve centre of governance in Lagos State and one of the most economically consequential corridors in our nation,” the minister said.
According to him, the substation previously operated with one 60MVA, one 45MVA and one 30MVA transformer, giving it a combined installed capacity of 135MVA, equivalent to approximately 108MW.
He explained that the replacement of the existing 30MVA transformer with the new 100MVA unit had increased the substation’s total capacity to 205MVA, equivalent to approximately 164MW, while making an additional 80MW of bulk power available to IKEDC for onward distribution to consumers.
Tegbe stressed that the additional capacity would have a multiplier effect on economic activities, noting that improved electricity supply would benefit businesses, industries, hospitals, schools, offices, markets, technology companies and artisans.
“Behind these numbers are businesses, industries, hospitals, schools, offices, markets, technology companies, malls, artisans and people whose livelihoods depend upon electricity,” he said.
The minister said the Alausa project formed part of the Federal Government’s broader strategy to identify transmission bottlenecks, strengthen constrained corridors, expand substations and replace ageing equipment across the country.
“Our approach is therefore deliberate: Identify the bottleneck. Invest in it. Remove the constraint. Unlock the capacity,” Tegbe said, assuring Nigerians that the government would continue to invest in critical transmission infrastructure.
He commended the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO), IKEDC and Shanghai Electric Group Company Limited for their contributions to the project, while also acknowledging the Lagos State Government for creating an enabling environment for infrastructure investments.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of TCN, Engr. Sule Ahmed Abdulaziz, said the newly installed transformer was a reflection of the Federal Government’s commitment to strengthening and expanding Nigeria’s transmission infrastructure.
Abdulaziz said the project, executed by Shanghai Electric Ltd under a World Bank-funded initiative that commenced in January 2021, replaced the existing 30MVA transformer and increased the substation’s capacity by 70MVA.
“This significant upgrade enhances the substation’s ability to serve its growing load demand,” the TCN boss said.
He added that upon energisation, the transformer would provide more stable and reliable electricity to at least 70,000 residents in Alausa and neighbouring communities through IKEDC.
Beyond the immediate beneficiaries, Abdulaziz said the project would increase the quantum of bulk electricity that TCN could wheel to distribution load centres, thereby supporting grid stability and improving the delivery of power to consumers nationwide.
“It is a clear demonstration that TCN remains resolute in its mandate of building and sustaining a robust transmission network, capable of transporting Nigeria’s growing power needs to various distribution load centres nationwide,” he said.
The TCN chief executive expressed appreciation to President Tinubu, the Minister of Power, the World Bank, Lagos State Government, contractors, engineers and other stakeholders for their support in delivering the project.
The commissioning of the Alausa transformer is part of ongoing efforts by the Federal Government and TCN to expand transmission capacity, address infrastructure constraints and improve the reliability of electricity supply across Nigeria.
