Schneider Electric launches equipment that will help Discos cut losses

Energy management company, Schneider Electric, has launched new smart equipment to achieve a self-healing grid and ensure efficient use of power in Nigeria.

The Head of Offer, Strategy and Business Development at Schneider Electric, Ifeanyi Odoh, made this known during a one-day utility end user training.

Odoh stated that products which include the Smart Ringmaster (RTU T300 & SCADA); Pix Rof and Auto-Reclosers were launched in order to enable stakeholders in the power sector, most especially the distribution companies (DisCos), fix major faults in grid and restore power after disruption within minutes, using the “self-healing grid” solution with minimal human intervention.

“What we have done basically is provide more intelligent and advanced equipment that enables systems to be smart grid ready and to be able to, at the basic level, restore service operation automatically with less human intervention. As such, it reduces operational downtime of DisCos to less than a minute,” Odoh said.

L-R: Albert Fuchet, Cluster President, Anglophone Africa, Schneider Electric; Christophe Begat, Managing Director, Anglophone West Africa, Schneider Electric, Alhaji Bola Azeez, CEO, Bolamark Engineering Limited, Mojola Ola, Head, Building Business, Anglophone West Africa, Schneider Electric; Nurudeen Oyedeji, Channel Manager, Anglophone West Africa; Ifeanyi Odoh, Head, Offer Marketing and Business Development, Anglophone West Africa, Schneider Electric. [NAN] Pulse Nigeria

The training, organised in partnership with Bolamark Engineering, had over 30 participants from about five electricity distribution companies and other stakeholders in attendance.

The training revolved around improving grid reliability and efficiency, getting DisCos to improve on System Average Interruption Duration Index (SAIDI) and System Average Frequency Index (SAFI); improving energy efficiency to minimize technical and non-technical losses and distributed energy resource integration to enhance grid stability; and accommodating alternative sources of energy like solar, wind, gas among others.

According to Odoh, the new solutions will save DisCos significant operational costs, time and money.

This, he said, will save downtime for DisCos.

“Take for example, you are driving and you knock down a pole, the system would isolate the line feeding that particular point as close as possible, localize the fault and restore power to the rest of the community not affected so that only that particular pole would then be localized or separated for manual intervention,” he added.

The Head, Channel Marketing of Schneider Electric, Omobolanle Omotayo, stated that the solutions will benefit not just the DisCos but consumers as well.

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PAE and Product Manager for Schneider Electric, Moyosore Oyefuga, noted that the new equipment will bring extra level of visibility on the network so DisCos can accurately improve their forecasts and make more informed decisions.

He stated that the equipment will help reduce the issue of load shedding by DisCos.

“With the kind of automation we bring, some loads could be deferred if for any reason, DisCos realise that there is a little bit more demand than supply or vice versa,” said Oyefuga

Other Speakers at the training were Tendering Manager- Power System, Adebayo Adeniran and Prescription Expert, Oladapo Faworaja.

Representatives of Eko DisCo, Ikeja DisCo, Abuja DisCo, Ibadan DisCo, Lagos StateElectricity Board, Viathan Utility and Bolamark Engineering were also at the training.