15 December 2011, Sweetcrude, LAGOS – Power generation in Nigeria has dropped by 1,080 mega watts (mw) following the shutdown of the nation’s biggest electricity generating plant, the Egbin Power Station in Lagos.
The News Agency of Nigerian (NAN) reports that the station shutdown on Tuesday due to equipment failure. Before the setback, the station was contributing about 1,080mw to the national grid.
Nigeria’s current national average power generation is about 3,400mw, but, it is estimated that Nigeria requires about 10,000mw to effectively guarantee uninterrupted supply of electricity.
All the facilities at the power station were shut, NAN reports. But, the hydro component of the power station, called the “bi-minerasation plant” and, which had been poorly maintained over the years, was identified as causing the collapse of the entire station, .
The report said the power station was shut when it could no longer generate power, adding that lack of spare parts was the major challenge facing the plant.
“The failed hydro plant has been repaired several times and because the plant is obsolete, getting the spare parts has become a challenge. We have been managing the plant for over 40 years. When it breaks down, it takes about five days for it to come up again,’’ a source said.
He said the station often took time to come up whenever it was went down, noting that it would take up to Saturday before the station could work again.
He said PHCN officials were in Abuja, working towards resuscitating the station.
A correspondent of NAN, who visited the station, confirmed that the station had been shut and the workers seen idling around.
The station is the biggest power-generating plant in the country with installed capacity to generate 1,320 mega watts.
