Nigerian power generation drops to 3456megawatts

Electricity generation in the country
plunged to 3 , 456 megawatts on Tuesday ,
losing 1, 108 MW in seven days , according to
latest data obtained by our correspondent
on Wednesday.
Total power generation dropped from
4, 564 . 60 MW as of 6. 00 am on February 19 to
3, 456 . 20 MW on February 24 , a day after the
presidential and National Assembly
elections . It stood at 4 , 358 MW as of 6. 00 am
on Saturday .
Data from the Nigeria Electricity System
Operator , an arm of the Transmission
Company of Nigeria , showed that
generation fell further to 3, 456. 60MW as of
6. 00 am on February 26.
The system operator put the nation ’ s
installed generation capacity at
12, 910 . 40 MW; available capacity at
7, 652 . 60 MW; transmission wheeling
capacity at 8, 100 MW; and the peak
generation ever attained at 5, 375 MW.
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 .
Total generation capacity of 2020 . 7MW was
unutilised on Wednesday as a result of low
demand by Discos ( 1, 430. 7MW) , line
constraints ( 440MW ) and water
management ( 150MW ) .
Seven of the nation’ s 27 power plants were
not generating any megawatts as of 6. 00 am
on Monday . The idle plants were
Olorunsogo NIPP , Gbarain NIPP , Afam IV ,
and four independent power plants , namely
AES, ASCO, Rivers and Trans-Amadi .
Generation from Egbin , the nation ’ s biggest
power station , fell to 491MW as of 6. 00 am
on Monday from 581 MW on February 8. The
plant, which produced as high as 1, 085MW
on March 15 , 2016, has been generating far
less than its installed capacity of 1, 320MW
in more than two years.
The TCN announced earlier this month that
the national grid successfully transmitted a
new power generation peak of 5, 375MW on
February 7, 2019 , at 9 pm.
It said it was the first time that the grid
had generated, transmitted and distributed
such quantum of power , describing it as
evidence of the success of the government ’ s
policy on incremental power .
The TCN , which manages the national grid ,
is still fully owned and operated by the
government.
Electricity generation companies recently
complained 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 ,
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, 500 MW and 8, 000MW ; you can check the
records at the National Control Centre ,
Osogbo . ”
The power grid has suffered four collapses
so far this year , according to data from the
system operator.
According to the Nigerian Electricity
Regulatory Commission , a total system
collapse means total blackout nationwide ,
while partial system collapse is a failure of
a section of the grid .
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 had any
actual reserve as of 6. 00 am on Thursday ,
with the contracted reserve put at 295
megawatts.
The power stations are Egbin , Delta,
Olorunsogo NIPP, Geregu NIPP and
Omotosho NIPP.