13 December 2011, Sweetcrude, LAGOS – Electricity generation in Nigeria will rise to 6,000megawatts by September next year, going by indications by Mr. Mike Uzoigwe, chief executive officer of Egbin Power Station, Nigeria’s biggest power-generating plant with a capacity of 1,320megawatts.
Uzoigwe told the chairman and members of the House of Representatives Committeee on Power, who were on inspection of the power station, that repair work on the plant’s ailing Unit 6 would be completed within the next nine months to ensure the station returned to full capacity.
Nigeria’s power output currently hovers around 4,000mw and some of the National Integrated Power Projects (NIPP), including the 1,074mw-capacity Alaoji Power Plant in Abia State, are expected to come on stream in the first and second quarter of 2012.
Uzoigwe, who noted that the Egbin power plant currently has an available capacity of 1,080mw, also stated that the low reliability of the available and operating units was due to poor maintenance and overhauls.
He said there was inadequate funding to sustain the repairs, adding that the late release of approved funds from the budget office has made it impossible for the plant to hit the targets and plans.
He said the repair of Unit 1 had been successful, while the unit was synchronised in December last year, adding 220mw to the grid.
He added that while each of Units 1,2,3 and 5 had the capacity to generate its full target of 220mw, Unit 4 has a capacity to generate only 200mw, having lost 20mw.
The Egbin plant boss disclosed that contracts had been awarded for the repair of unit 4 for the recovery of the 20mw, but added that the repair work was put on hold due to inadequate funding.
He revealed that work had started for the repair of Unit 6, with an ambitious target of delivering additional 220mw in the next nine months, and appealed for uninterrupted funding to sustain the tempo of ongoing repair work on the unit.
Uzoigwe said the generator Rotor for Unit 6 was received from Japan in December 2010, while contract had been awarded for the repair of Unit 1 turbine.
“The turbine will be used to run Unit 6. This has been the only committed contract awarded since this year 2011,” he said.
“Egbin plant needs more funding to enable us carry out mandatory overhauls. Funding has been the biggest constraint in maintaining the infrastructure in good operating condition,” he added.
