The Nigeria Bureau of Statistics says Afam VI Power Plant is the most efficient power station in the country

|  By Anayo Ezugwu  |  May 8, 2017 @ 01:00 GMT  |

AFAM VI Power Plant is the most efficient power plant in Nigeria. According to the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics, NBS, out of the 3,687 megawatts, mw, generated in the first quarter of 2017, Afam VI Power Plant contributed about 12.64 percent share of the average energy generated. This is the highest generation among the 23 power plants in the country within the period under review.

The NBS in its power generation statistics for the first quarter of 2017 showed that daily energy generation attained a peak of 5,846mw on January 24, 2017 and daily energy sent out on same date was 5,747mw. Similarly, the highest daily energy generated per hour attained a peak of 140,316mwh during the same period and daily energy sent out per hour on same date was 137,920mwh.

According the Bureau, this represents the highest level of energy generated and sent out in the month of January 2017 and in the first quarter of 2017. However, the lowest daily energy generation, 1,660mw, in the month of January 2017 and in first quarter of 2017 was attained on January 18, 2017, and daily energy sent out on that date was 1,618mw. The lowest daily energy generation per hour was also attained on same date. 39,837mwh was generated and 38,831mwh was sent out.

The report noted that in February 2017, daily energy generation attained a peak of 4,279mw on February 21, and daily energy sent out on same date was 4,217mw. Similarly, the highest daily energy generated per hour in the month under review attained a peak of 102,705mwh and daily energy sent out per hour on same date was 101,208mwh.

Nevertheless, daily energy generation attained its lowest of 2,915mw on February 1, and daily energy sent out on same date was 2,869mw.

Similarly, the lowest daily energy generation per hour was also attained on same date, while 69,962mwh was generated and 68,847mwh was sent out. Daily energy generation in March 2017, attained a peak of 4,156.03mw on March 9, and daily energy sent out on same date was 4,096mw. However, the highest daily energy generated per hour attained a peak of 99,732mwh on March 9, and daily energy sent out per hour on same date was 98,300mwh.

The lowest daily energy generation attained in March 2017 was 3,496mw and the lowest daily energy sent out of 3,441mw was attained on March 16. Likewise, the lowest daily energy generation per hour was also attained on same date. 83,790mwh was generated and 82,580mwh was sent out.

Meanwhile, the electricity distribution companies, DISCOs, operating under aegis of the Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors, ANED, has criticised the federal government’s failure to provide the N100 billion subsidy it promised after private investors took over the power sector utilities on November 1, 2013. The Discos also faulted the poor funding for the transmission section of the sector, which they said resulted in the huge load rejection cases.

A statement issued by the umbrella body said government which holds 40 percent equity in the utilities stated many interventions in the performance agreement of DISCOs with the Bureau of Public Enterprises, BPE. Sunday Oduntan, director of advocacy and research, ANED, said, “To date, the government has not met the privatisation transaction foundational requirements of providing N100 billion in subsidies; payment of MDA electricity obligations; ensuring that the discos have debt free financial books; and implementing a cost reflective tariff,” it said.

On transmission constraints, ANED doubted if the N50 billion appropriated for Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, in the 2016 budget was released by half, adding that, “This funding level is even more pitiful when, especially, measured against TCN’s estimate of $7.5 billion for its five-year expansion plan that is expected to take us to 10,000mw, from our current 4,500mw.”

The DISCOs said they can only recover their costs when they have more energy delivered by the Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, in the area where they have customers. “Should the Discos have to suffer financial losses due to the limitations associated with TCN’s wheeling constraints?” they queried.

ANED said TCN, which is still a public utility, “has remained underfunded over several decades.  Such limited or underfunding has resulted in poor transmission infrastructure and planning, with the consequences of grid instability and limited wheeling capacity, adversely impacting the distribution and generation of electricity.”

They decried the continued dearth of TCN funding, saying it impedes the discos’ ability to distribute power which led to crashes in power turbines of Generation Companies, GENCOs, due TCN consistent requests for de-loading.

—  May 8, 2017 @ 01:00 GMT