BREAKING NEWS, Power
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With the shutdown of Utorogu and Ughelli gas plants for routine maintenance, power generation in the country has dropped drastically in the last three weeks thereby throwing electricity consumers into long hours of blackout
| By Anayo Ezugwu | Jul. 7, 2014 @ 01:00 GMT
THE power supply situation has gone from bad to worst in Lagos and other parts of the country in past few weeks. Consequently, consumers are experiencing long hours of blackout. Jonathan Ogbonna, special adviser to the minister of power, who confirmed the drop in electricity supply to Punch, attributed the development to the shutdown of the Utorogu and Ughelli East gas plants. He said the shutdown had drastically affected power generation as supply had fallen from over 4,000 megawatts to as low as 2,900MW.
“Three weeks ago, the two gas plants were shut down. This has affected power generation, which went down to as low as 2,900MW. The 2,900MW was distributed in the format we have always done. From the National Electricity Regulatory Commission, there is a ratio for distribution,” he said.
Ogbonna, said maintenance works on the gas plants were still on, adding, “From the last report I got, they are now re-commissioning the plants. When you demobilise after working on the system, re-commissioning will then be done. The re-commissioning is in stages; this is to ensure that everything is in order before we re-commission.”
In response to complaints by consumers, Abiodun Ajifowobaje, managing director, Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company, IEDC, said generation has been bad in the last three days. “The system is still very bad. The distribution company is receiving just 250MW to service its maximum demand of 1,250MW,” he said.
Meanwhile, the World Bank has pledged to continue support for the development of Nigeria’s power sector following its successful privatisation. The pledge, according to a report by the News Agency of Nigeria on Monday, June 23, was contained in a statement issued by Patricia Deworitshe, assistant director, press, ministry of power, in Abuja.
The statement quoted Erik Fernstrom, outgoing country director, World Bank, as making the pledge at a send-off dinner organised for him in Abuja. The statement added that Fernstrom commended the federal government for its courage in privatising the power sector, noting that the success of the exercise had put an end to the doubts of many. He urged Nigerians to be patient for the full manifestation of the dividends of the exercise, saying it would take a while before this would be realised.
Patrick Kormawa, leader, Energy Working Group and Country Representative, United Nations Industrial Development Organisation, UNIDO, in Nigeria, was full of commendation for Fernstrom for his contributions to the development of the sector. He applauded Nigeria for keeping faith with the privatisation process. “This ambitious programme, as it is called, has proven to the world that Nigeria is serious and I wish that more sectors can be like the power sector in terms of magnitude.”
In a related development, the federal government has said the 215 megawatts independent power plant in Kaduna State would be completed and inaugurated in December this year. It said the N23 billion project, which was awarded in 2009, was designed to supply power to Kaduna industrial areas, while the excess electricity from the facility would be sent to the national grid.
Namadi Sambo, Vice President, said during his inspection of the plant on Monday, June 23, that it was 84 percent completed and expressed the hope that it would be inaugurated in December by President Goodluck Jonathan. “I am most delighted with the level of work that we have achieved so far. I am happy to see that this project today is about 84 percent completed and we have been informed reliably and have confirmed that by December, power will be generated and supplied to Nigerians from this plant. I want to assure all Nigerians that Mr. President is keeping his transformation agenda and promise, and it is to transform Nigeria and ensure that power is provided to our industrial and residential areas,” he said.
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