Six Plants Idle As Electricity Generation Drops To 2,616MW

The nation’s electricity generation plunged to 2,616.7 megawatts on Tuesday, a day after heavy rainfall in Lagos damaged some power facilities and worsened supply in parts of the state.

Total power generation declined to 3,978.5MW as of 6.00am on Monday from 4,297MW on Sunday, according to data from the Nigeria Electricity System Operator, an arm of the Transmission Company of Nigeria.

Six power plants, namely Alaoji NIPP, Olorunsogo NIPP and Ihovbor NIPP, Gbarain NIPP, AES IPP and ASCO IPP, were idle as of 6.00am on Tuesday.

A total generation capacity of 2,443.2MW was said to be unavailable as of 6.00am on Tuesday as a result of line constraints (544MW), low load demand by electricity distribution companies (1,749.2MW) and water management (150MW).

The system operator put the nation’s installed generation capacity at 12,910.40MW; available capacity at 7,652.60MW; transmission wheeling capacity at 8,100MW; and the peak generation ever attained at 5,375MW.

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.

The TCN, which manages the national grid, is still fully owned and operated by the government.

The grid has continued to suffer system collapse over the years amid a lack of spinning reserve that is meant to forestall such occurrences.

Spinning reserve is the generation capacity that is online but unloaded and that can respond within 10 minutes to compensate for generation or transmission outages.

Out of the five power stations meant to provide spinning reserves, none has any actual reserve, with the contracted reserve put at 295MW.

The power stations are Egbin, Delta, Olorunsogo NIPP, Geregu NIPP and Omotosho NIPP.