Power Supply Remains at 3,278MW Despite Conclusion of Gas Line Repairs

* Sector’s 2018 financial losses to constraints now N227.793bn

Chineme Okafor in Abuja

The total volume of electricity generated for transmission and distribution to homes and offices across Nigeria has remained at 3,278 megawatts (MW) despite the completion of repairs of gas pipelines ruptured last week, a daily report of the sector’s operation from the office of the Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo has shown.

Obtained from the Advisory Power Team of the vice-president on Sunday in Abuja, the report which was for June 23, also indicated that the total amount of estimated revenue the sector lost between January 1 and June 23, on account of sundry operational constraints was N227.793 billion. However, for the June 23, it noted that N1.658 billion was lost by the sector.

A week ago, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) disclosed that the total volume of electricity generated and distributed to Nigerians had gone down by 1,087.6MW, stating in a statement from its General Manager, Public Affairs, Mrs. Ndidi Mbah, that six power plants which generate electricity with gas were shut down because gas supplies to them were cut off.

According to Mbah, the affected power stations were Ihovbor, Azura, Omotosho, Geregu, Olorunsogo, and Sapele. Gas supplies to all of them, she said, were affected by a rupture on the gas pipeline of the Nigerian Gas Company (NGC).

She also said a technical issue experienced by Shell at its gas well had affected supply of gas to its Afam VI power plant, adding that Egbin power plant also generated just about 60MW of electricity on account of this.

The TCN equally sent out a statement the next day stating that electricity generation and supply could return to the levels they were before the gas supply challenge.

It said an indication that gas supply to the plants had improved was the increase in power generation to 3,876.9MW as at 17.00hrs on Monday, 18th June as reported by its National Control Centre (NCC).

However, the report from the Advisory Power Team stated: “On June 23, 2018, average power sent out was 3,278MWh/hour (down by 649.96MWh/h from the previous day). 1,529.5MW was not generated due to unavailability of gas; 47.7MW was not generated due to unavailability of transmission infrastructure; while 1,686MW was not generated due to high frequency resulting from unavailability of distribution infrastructure.”

It further explained that: “190MW was recorded as losses due to water management.”

The power sector, it noted, “lost an estimated N1,658,000,000 on June 23, 2018 due to insufficient gas supply, distribution infrastructure and transmission infrastructure”.

Continuing, the report stated that the dominant constraint for the sector on June 23, 2018 remained the unavailability of distribution infrastructure which it said resulted in a total of 1,686MW not available to the grid.

On the sector’s accumulated losses so far, it said: “Estimated amount lost to insufficient gas supply, distribution, transmission and water reserves to date in 2018 – N227,793,000,000.”