13 February 2017, Lagos – Nigeria’s electricity sector has continued to deteriorate especially in the last one week when system collapse, gas and water constraints nearly brought power supply to a halt.
The nation recorded electricity loss of 1,373 megawatts, MW, between February 4 and 9, while generation loss amounted to N5,235,000,000. The worst situation was recorded on February 4, 2017, when the system frequency dropped sharply from 49.78Hz to 47.32Hz and resulted in a total collapse.
The following circuits were reported to have tripped off: – 330kV Sapele/Delta (cct S4G) at both ends, – 330kV Benin/Onitsha lines 1 & 2 (ccts B1T & B2T) at Onitsha end, – 330kV AlaojiGS/Alaoji TS line 1 (cct L7A) at Alaoji G/S end, – 330kV Jebba G.S/Jebba T.S line 1 (cct B8J) at Jebba G/S end.
It was also a day when the sector lost an estimated N798 million due to gas and water constraints, while generation loss of 933MW was recorded.
Though a slight improvement of 907MW was recorded on February 5, estimated power sector loss of another 798 million was reported. Alaoji NIPP lost functionality in one turbine, while Ihovbor GT1 was shut down due to generator RTD alarm.
The situation did not fare better on February 6, when an estimated power sector loss of N688 million was recorded. Alaoji NIPP GT2 tripped on high air inlet differential pressure for nine hours. February 7, the sector lost an estimated N939 million, at a time generation loss was reported to be about 133MW.
Okpai was shut down due to mechanical problems in GT12 and ST18, Egbin has lost functionality in one turbine due to an undisclosed fault, Olorunsogo I lost functionality in three turbines due to gas constraints, while Alaoji NIPP gained functionality in one turbine.
The highest financial loss of N1,043 billion was recorded on February 8, when generation lost about 296 MW.
The reported gas 2024MW, while water constraint was put at 150MW. Delta was said to have lost functionality from 4 turbines due to a combination of mechanical difficulties and due to maintenance work at NPDC gas well.
There was Increase in gas constraints due to maintenance work on NPDC gas well. For February 9, though generation loss was about 11MW, the sector lost an estimated N969 million, at a time reported gas constraint was 1889MW, while water constraint was 150 MW.
Alaoji NIPP was shut down, while Okpai and Delta plants have restored previously shut down turbines to functionality.
- Vanguard