20 power plants suffer major problems, and blackouts worsen

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Following the perennial power outages currently being experienced across the country; findings have shown that 20 gas power plants are currently under-performing, leading to power generation dropping below 2000MW.

Nigeria has 23 power generating plants with 11, 165MW capacity connected to the national grid. These plants are managed by generation companies (GenCos), independent power providers, and Niger Delta Holding Company. Out of the 23, two are hydro plants.

Independent investigations by The PUNCH showed that the gas plants are currently either generating below expectations, shut down due to lack of gas, or undergoing maintenance.

Investigations further showed that the affected plants included: 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, Jebba Hydro and Shiroro power generating stations are either out or have limited generation capacity.

Other affected power generating plants include Omotosho units 3&4, Olorunsogo unit 1, Delta units 10 &20, Afam VI unit 13, Ihovbor NIPP unit 4, Geregu NIPP units 22&23, and Odukpani NIPP units 2, 4 & 5. These are out either because of fault or for scheduled maintenance.

The two hydro plants, Shiroro and Jebba, are also experiencing generation shortfall due to water management.

Further checks revealed that there were fault and technical problems in the country’s largest gas plant, Egbin, which took it completely off the grid, causing a 514MW shortfall. In Geregu, the situation caused a 230MW shortfall, with a reported fault at Alaoji NIPP. Olorunsogo, Omotosho, Sapele NIPP, Omotosho NIPP, Omoku, Okapi, Afam VI, Olorunsogo NIPP, Geregu NIPP, and Ihovbor are also experiencing different constraints currently weighing down their performances.

Odukpani NIPP, which was recently shut down due to gas pipeline pigging, is also yet to fully bounce back to full generation capacity.

However, 16 gas plants were on weekend back on the national grid with Delta Power generating the highest at 332MW.