OpeOluwani Akintayo
17 June 2018, Sweetcrude, Lagos — Power generation and transmission to the national grid in-country has dropped by 1, 087 Megawatts due to gas supply constraints, the Transmission Company of Nigeria has revealed.
The disclosure was contained in a statement sent to SweetcrudeReports by the management of the Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN on Sunday.
The revelation came following a report (not by SweetcrudeReports) on Saturday that the national grid had collapsed, leading to blackouts across the country.
However, according to Ms. Ndidi Mbah, a spokesperson for TCN said the country merely experienced a partial blackout due to inadequate gas supply, leading to a drop of 1,087 megawatts in national grid generation.
She explained that there was a gas pipeline rupture on June 15, reason power generating companies could not lay their hands on enough gas which affected power supply, including that experienced on Saturday, however, debunking reports of total blackouts.
According to the body responsible for transportation of power from generating companies to the distribution companies, the gas shortages had affected over half a dozen power generating facilities.
She added that the Shell Nigeria gas wells had also developed a fault on June 16.
Nigeria currently generates around 5000MW.
As at June 11 (the latest report available), the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing headed by Babatunde Fashola SAN, reported a peak generation of 4159.1MW.
Ms. Mbah explained that power distribution companies have embarked on a “massive load-shedding nationwide’ in order to “maintain the stability of the grid.”
Load-shedding is a critical way of ensuring that available generation is equitably allocated to distribution companies nationwide, to create a balance and avert grid instability.
Power stations that have been shut down to various faults include the Ihovbor, Azura Edo, Omotosho gas, Geregu gas, Olorunsogo gas, Sapele and the Egbin Power Station.
Egbin generates 60 megawatts on each of its units, losing a total of 211 megawatts, she said.
Afam VI power station was also shut down to allow Shell to repair the rupture to its gas wells.
Although Shell has been able to partially resolve the issue and was able to supply power to Afam VI, although at a low capacity for now.
Ms. Mbah said efforts have intensified to avert a collapse of the system.
She said there was “no collapse of the grid as reported in the news.”