Power sector loses N1.43 billion in one day to gas, grid constraints

The power sector is said to have lost about N1.43 billion to constraints associated with grid and gas in one day (June 17, 2017), according to statistics released by the Presidential Advisory Power Team (PAPT) overseen by the Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo.

The constraints involved 1,724 mega watts (MW) for gas while line constraints involved a total of 1,252.1MW of which, 1,078.5MW had high frequency constraints.

The implications included shortage of electricity supplies to end users, frustration of businesses and decline of revenue generation to the sector.

The average power sent out was 2,786MWh/hour (down by 687/h) against 3,474MWh/hour sent out on June 16, 2017.

Also, the peak was 3,948 MW lower than 3,960MW generated on June 16. This was attributed to the loss of Distribution Companies (DisCOs) feeders arising from heavy rainfall leading to frequency management reduction in generation output across the grid.

Meanwhile, against the backdrop of possible extension of sanctions by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), the 11 electricity DisCos have assured their non-maximum demand customers that they were working diligently towards intensifying their metering obligations in an attempt to phase out the challenges of estimated billing faced by customers.

NERC had earlier directed all Maximum Demand (45KVA) customers to resist any payment of estimated bills presented by the DisCos.

DisCos had failed to meet the deadline of March 30, within which they were ordered by NERC to provide prepaid meters to the Maximum Demand customers or face sanctions.

In a statement, the Chief Executive Officer, Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors (ANED), Azu Obiaya, said the metering targets which are captured by Performance Agreements with the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) are being followed through.

He advised residential customers who are yet to be metered to continue to pay the estimated bills, promising that metering will be achieved sooner.

He said: “While we continue to operate with the estimated billing methodology that is approved and mandated by NERC, we are working diligently towards addressing the metering obligations specified under our Performance Agreements with the BPE. We are ensuring that we continue to be sensitive and responsive to the inadvertent challenges of estimated billing that our residential or non-MD customers are faced with.

“It is critically important that we state that there is no more interested party in the comprehensive metering of our electricity consumers than the DisCos. It is our hope and expectation that such metering will be achieved sooner rather than later,” ANED said.