Power generation in the country plunged to 2,390.20 megawatts on
Monday as the number of idle power plants rose from seven to 15,
according to the latest data from the Federal Ministry of Power,
Works and Housing.
Total electricity generation has been hovering below 4,000MW in
recent months and stood at 3,741.30MW as of 6am on Sunday.
The nation generates most of its electricity from gas-fired
power plants, while output from hydropower plants makes up about 30
per cent of the total.
But the three hydropower plants accounted for more than 50 per
cent of the electricity generated as of 6am on Monday, with Kainji,
Jebba and Shiroro producing 366MW, 354MW and 494MW,
respectively.
Egbin, the biggest power station in the country, saw its output
drop to 176MW on Monday from 306MW on Saturday.
The idle plants are Sapele, Afam IV & V, Geregu, Omotosho,
Geregu NIPP, Alaoji, Omotosho NIPP, Odukpani NIPP, Ihovbor NIPP,
Gbarain NIPP, Okpai, Afam VI, AES, ASCO and Rivers IPP.
The PUNCH had reported on Monday that electricity generation
companies in the country were saying that their plants were being
forced to operate below their optimal capacity levels.
The Executive Secretary, Association of Power Generation
Companies, the umbrella body for the Gencos, Dr Joy Ogaji, in an
emailed response to questions from our correspondent, attributed
the problem to transmission and distribution.
She said, “Specifically, generation companies are pinned down by
some operational impediments. The frequency of instructions to
either increase load or decrease load (ramp up and ramp down) and,
in some cases, shut down, has induced damaging stresses to the
components of the machines.
“These instructions, reflective of the grid behaviour, are
subjecting key electrical components of the power plants to
operational stresses. Our available generation has always been
steady between 7,500MW and 8,000MW; you can check the records at
the National Control Centre, Osogbo.”
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