Analysis of Oria Abraka 33/11 kV Power Sub-Station: A Case for Sustainable Power Supply

Abstract

Frequent power outages in Nigeria’s distribution network continue to hinder economic growth and industrial productivity. This study evaluates the reliability and performance of the Oria Abraka 33/11 kV substation in Delta State, Nigeria, to analyze power availability trends and propose improvement strategies. Daily power data, including power delivery, electric current, and outage hours, were obtained from the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) for 2017–2022 and analyzed using Microsoft Excel for trend assessment and Python for power flow visualization. Findings reveal that power availability remains critically low, with January 2020 recording the highest monthly supply (207 hours, 6.68 hours per day), while 2022 had the highest annual power availability (1678 hours, 19.2%), reflecting persistent supply inadequacies. The total monthly available power peaked at 147.9 MW in December 2022, but yearly current delivery declined from 13,783 A in 2017 to 12,478 A in 2021, suggesting infrastructural constraints or load shedding. Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) identified key outage contributors, including transformer overloading, delayed switching, and high transmission losses, while power flow analysis highlighted voltage drops exceeding 43.3 V under peak loads. Unlike broader grid-wide studies, this research applies quantitative fault and power flow assessments at the substation level, revealing inefficiencies such as overloaded conductors, excessive power dissipation (0.5 MW loss at peak current), and prolonged restoration times (CAIDI: 28.31 hours). A comparative analysis with substations like Ugbowo 33/11 kV (Nigeria) and UK networks underscores the need for predictive maintenance, transformer capacity upgrades, and smart grid integration. These findings provide actionable insights for utilities, policymakers, and regulators to enhance power reliability across Nigeria and similar developing regions.