Electricity generation hits 4,009MW, improves gradually

Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, yesterday wheeled out about 4,009 megawatts of generated electricity to 11 distribution companies, creating an indication that the country’s power supply is gradually stabilising. Daily power statistics from Nigerian Electricity System Operator, a section of the Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, shows that power generation gradually improved during the last Christmas season with a peak generation of 4,208.3 megawatts from the national grid, with a record of 3,366 megawatts as its lowest within the same period. Meanwhile, the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry, NESI, on January 3, disclosed that over N534 billion of revenue was lost by the power sector in 2016. Among the reasons for the loss were shortages in gas supply, frequency and line limitations and water levels management constraints that led to several cases of electricity outage in the country. NESI, which put the average daily revenue loss at N1.5 billion, said gas constraint remained one of the major challenges facing the electricity sector. It said that N534 billion was the value of electricity lost on account of the challenges, part of which could have been used to bridge the liquidity gap in the power sector, estimated at N1trillion. Already, the sector is finding it difficult to access more loans from Nigerian banks due to their inability to meet the payment obligations for previous borrowings. The situation will also affect the capacity of the power firms to improve on electricity supply to consumers for domestic and industrial uses. NESI said in its daily statistics on energy losses that the industry lost N1.525 billion on December 24, 2016 alone. It also disclosed that about 12 power stations could not produce electricity during off-peak period under the review. Statistics from the National Control Centre, Osogbo, showed that Afam IV-V, Geregu Gas, Alaoji National Integrated Power Project, NIPP and Olorunsogo Gas plants could not produce a single megawatt, MW, on December 25, 2016. Others that could not produce a single megawatt (MW) on Dec. 25, 2016 include Odukpani NIPP, Okpai, Ibom Power, ASCO, AES, Omoku, Rivers NIPP and Gbarain power plants. Nigeria has installed power output of 11,165MW, of which the 12 plants have a combined capacity of 2,035MW.