The
Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) said that the nation’s power generation
capacity dropped from 3,959 megawatts on Jan. 4 to 2,662 megawatts on Jan. 22.
The Nigerian
Electricity System Operator (SO) website, a sub agency of TCN, disclosed the
figure in its daily forecast on power generation data in Lagos on Sunday.
Reports has
it that TCN attributed the drop to low water levels at the hydro power stations
and dearth of gas to the power generating companies.
TCN said the total output of 2,662.20 megawatts from all the
generation companies on Sunday had been transferred to the 11 distribution
companies across the country.
According to the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI)
operational report for Jan. 4, the power sector hit a peak generation of 4,959
megawatts but dropped to 2,662.20 megawatts on Jan. 22.
NESI said the sector recorded highest system frequency of
51.32Hz and lowest system frequency of 48.52 Hz, while the highest and the
lowest voltage recorded on Sunday were 372KV and 300KV, respectively.
An official of Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), who
preferred anonymity, told reporters that electricity generation had been dwindling
due to challenge of accessing gas by generation companies.
The official said that low level water levels at the
country’s hydro thermal stations also contributed to the drop in generation.
He said that most hydro stations are currently confronted
with low water challenges to generate energy.
The TCN official said that this often caused system collapse
when the system scrabbled to distribute energy from the grid to distribution
companies and the quantum of energy was not sufficient.
According to him, it is a challenging period for power
sector but it will get better once the hydro swing into high water level and
gas becomes available.
He attributed the drop in generation to the attack launched
against pipeline facilities belonging to the Nigerian Petroleum Development
Company (NPDC) on Jan. 17 around Ugheli in Delta State.
Similarly, a top official of Egbin Power Station, who also
pleaded anonymity, said that the power plant, with a capacity of 1,320
megawatts, now generates 340 megawatts due to gas constraint.
The official said that the 340 megawatts Egbin generated was
wheeled out to the national grid at 6.00 am on Sunday.
The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde
Fashola, had said that the sabotage of power assets by militants
prevented Nigeria from generating 7,000 MW of electricity.
Source:Guardian.Ng
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