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Ten electricity plants shutdown in one day

By Roseline Okere
28 June 2017   |   3:45 am
The Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI), has disclosed that about 10 power plants were shut down on June 23, due to gas constraints, transmission line challenges, routine maintenance and frequency management.

Egbin Power Plc

The Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI), has disclosed that about 10 power plants were shut down on June 23, due to gas constraints, transmission line challenges, routine maintenance and frequency management.

The affected power plants included Jebba Hydro, Shiroro Hydro, Egbin, Sapele, Delta, Geregu, Omotosho, Olorunsogo, Geregu, and Sapele National Integrated Power Projects (NIPPs).

Further analysis from the power generation report prepared by the Federal Ministry of Power showed that the system (ST) one of the 120 megawatt (MW) capacity Sapele Power was shut down due to gas constraints.

It noted that ST2 of the same plant was shut down due to faulty system valve. “ST3 is undergoing rehabilitation. ST4 and 5 are waiting major overhaul while ST6 tripped and shut down on gas control valve not following reference point.”

The report showed that while some power plants were shut down due gas constraints, others were shut down for regular maintenance.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) said in its latest report that there is intensification of efforts on the Ajaokuta-Abuja-Kaduna-Kano (AAKK) gas pipeline to ensure gas supply to power plants, and industries in Abuja, Kaduna and environs.

NNPC said that out of the 1,100.84 mmscfd of gas supplied to the domestic market in April 2017, about 671.75 mmscfd of gas representing 61.02 per cent was used for gas fired power plants while the balance of 429.08mmscfd or 38.98 per cent was supplied to other industries.

It stated: “A total of 672 mmscfd was delivered to the gas fired power plants in the month of April 2017 to generate an average power of about 2,787MW compared with the April 2016, where an average of 547mmscfd was supplied to generate 2,466MW.”

The Minister of Works, Power and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, said he has been meeting with gas suppliers in order to overcome the challenges of power generation, and also trying to see how the government can pay off some of their debts while other problems are fixed.

“As I continue to say, it is not technical but financial; vandalism of pipelines is not technical, people are destroying, they are hungry. Until we resolve these behavioural issues: people collect money, are they remitting everything in a manner that is fair? even if it is not enough, some people hold up their own share and they ask themselves ‘why should we continue to supply if we can’t get paid because there are bankers and financiers?’”

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