The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has informed that the power sector has in the past weeks continued to experience power supply shortage due to serious gas constraints to most of the nation’s thermal generating stations.
The same low gas supply to many power plants was reported few weeks ago but TCN said the shortage has persisted till date. “This has restrained optimal generation into the grid and consequently the quantum of electricity transmitted to distribution load centers,” the spokesman of TCN, Ndidi Mba said in Abuja yesterday.
She explained that the thermal power plants most affected by gas supply constraint include; Geregu Gas station now generating 0MW against 435MW, Geregu NIPP generating 81MW with a shortfall of 354MW, Sapele NIPP now generating 0MW against 230MW, Olorunsogo NIPP generating 0MW against 112MW and Olorunsogo Gas plant generating 70.5MW with a shortfall of 195.5MW while Gbarian plant is generating 0MW against 112MW.
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Also, affected by the gas supply constraint are ; Omotosho NIPP generating 110MW with a shortfall of 220MW, Egbin generating 596MW with a short fall of 264MW, Delta II-IV gas generating 306.81MW with a shortfall of 128.19MW and Okpai Gas plant generating 159MW with a shortfall of 291MW.
In addition, Rivers IPP, AFAM IV-V and Paras Energy are also generating with a shortfall of 40MW, 60MW and 30.2MW respectively. AFAM VI does not have gas supply problem but one of its units is out on fault.
According to Mrs. Mba, Azura and Odukpani power plants are currently the only two thermal power generating stations generating at full capacity into the nations grid. “With the current situation therefore, the distribution companies that have the capacity to pick more load are unable to, as TCN strives to distribute what is generated into the grid equitably among DisCos nationwide,” she said.
Early in March, TCN complained that low gas supply was significantly affecting the quantum of power generated into the grid. The agency lamented that the poor gas supply challenge has not abated but is rather getting worse, even after the maintenance of the gas pipelines.
“TCN hereby states that there is an urgent need to address the issue of gas shortage to thermal generating power plants nationwide to avert serious system disturbance,” she said.
~Chibisi Ohakah
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