TCN repeats inadequate gas supply, faulty plants, and maintenance as excuses
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Inadequate gas supply, faulty facilities of generating companies (GenCos), and unscheduled maintenance are the reasons for the escalated power blackouts since late 2021, according to the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).
But these were the same cock and bull excuses always given by the National Electric Power Authority (NEPA), an acronym whose meaning Nigerians changed to ‘Never Expect Power Always’ to reflect its inefficiency.
Poor performance by NEPA made Olusegun Obasanjo to dismantle it and from it create power GenCos, TCN, and Distribution companies (DisCos) in 2005.
TCN evacuates electric power generated by GenCos and wheels it to DisCos, providing vital transmission infrastructure between GenCos and the feeder substations of DisCos.
The real reasons for power outages are incompetence, negligence, and corruption. Generating and distribution chain personnel are negligent. Also, private generator marketers bribe them to sabotage the system so they can sell their generators.
Other countries, including South Africa, have stable power supply. It is possible to do so in Nigeria. But GenCos and TCN keep on repeating the sins of NEPA through negligence, costing Nigerians N12 trillion yearly in private power generators.
TCN Public Affairs General Manager Ndidi Mbah reeled out the same historical excuses causing GenCos to limit their output, and even sometimes not to generate power at all as the national energy crisis worsens.
He said 14 generating stations powered by gas are not functioning or have limited generation.
Besides, he stressed, Jebba hydro and Shiroro power generating stations are either down or have limited generation, causing additional loss of 232 megawatts (mw) to the national grid.
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Facilities down, or merely limping
“Cumulative generation nationwide is low and generation companies have attributed this to several factors including poor gas supply, fault in generating units of generating companies, scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, all of which have caused most power generating companies to limit their generation, and sometimes not generate at all,” Mbah said in a statement, per Nairametrics.
“A summary of the power generating profiles in the last two months, for instance, clearly shows that fourteen (14) gas powered generating stations were either not generating at all or had limited generation at various times within the period, further depleting the quantum of power generation available for transmission into the grid on a daily basis.
“Power generating stations in this category include; Omotosho units 5 & 6, Olorunsogo units 3, 4 & 6, Omoku units 3 & 6, Omotosho NIPP units 3 & 4, Delta units 15, 17, and 18, Afam VI units 11 & 12, Olorunsogo NIPP unit 3, Ihovbor NIPP unit 2, Sapele Steam unit 3, Sapele NIPP unit 1, Odukpani NIPP units 1 & 3, and Okpai units 11, 12 & 18.
“Also, within the same period, Jebba Hydro and Shiroro Power Generating Stations were either out or had limited generation, causing additional loss of 232MW from the grid ….
“Other power generating plants such as Omotosho units 3&4, Olorunsogo units 1, Delta units 10 &20, Afam VI unit 13, Ihovbor NIPP units 4, Geregu NIPP units 22&23 and Odukpani NIPP units 2, 4 & 5, have also been out either on fault or for scheduled maintenance, causing a further loss of about 3,180MW from the grid.’’
Mbah said there was generation shortfall from 1 to 4 March due to water management in Shiroro with the loss of 307 mw and Jebba with the loss of 125 mw.
Within the same period, he added, there were fault and technical problems in Egbin, causing 514 mw shortfall and in Geregu causing 230 mw shortfall, while reported fault at Alaoji NIPP reduced generation from the substation by 263 mw.
“Gas constraint alone in Olorunsogo gas generating plant reduced generation from the station by 104MW, in the same vein, Omotosho gas lost 102MW and Sapele NIPP lost 263MW.
“In Omotosho NIPP, there was generation shortfall of 233MW and in Omoku a shortfall of 112MW.
“Two units in Okpai have limited generation due to technical problems causing a 204MW drop in generation and in Afam VI 511MW drop in generation.
“Gas constraint and fault in Olorunsogo NIPP reduced generation by 240MW, Geregu NIPP by 435MW, and Ihovbor by 142MW.
“Also, due to gas pipeline pigging, Odukpani NIPP was SHUT DOWN which caused a reduction of generation by 575MW.’’
TCN reiterated that these technical problems result in low load allocation to DisCos, as it can only transmit what is generated by GenCos operating below capacity.
