8 Power Plants with 1143MW shut Down Due To Gas Pipeline Fire
… Baru Orders Assessment of Damage, Restoration of Line

Eight (8) power plants with a combined generating capacity of 1,143MW have been shut down due to damage caused by fire on the Escravos to Lagos gas pipeline (EPL). The eight plants are Egbin, Lagos, Olorunshogo, PEL Olorunshogo, Ogun, Paras Power Plant, Ogun and Omotosho plant, Ondo State.
Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Dr. Maikanti Baru, has ordered an immediate assessment of the damage caused by a fire on the Escravos to Lagos Pipeline (ELP), a natural gas pipeline which supplies gas from Escravos region of the Niger Delta area to Lagos.
The pipeline also supplies gas to power plants in the South West, in addition to feeding the West Africa Gas Pipeline System.
The incineration of the ELP, which was built in 1989, was suspected to have been caused by a bush fire January 2, 2018 at Abakila, in Ondo State.
NNPC firemen were drafted to the scene and were able to contain the fire from the leak point of the pipeline incident. However, the fire could not be extinguished due to the high pressure of the line.
To put off the fire, the line would require being isolated and depressurized, which might lead to a complete shutdown of the pipeline segment for repair works to be carried out.