Why FG fails to meet 4,000mw of electricity generation (Business Day)

Despite several assurances, the Federal Government has failed to meet its target of 4,000 megawatts of electricity supply because of the high
spate of gas pipeline vandalisation, it says.

The implication is that Nigeria will be unable to take full advantage of the economic development which its gas resources promise, until government finds a solution to pipeline vandalisation.

Small and large businesses would continue to bear the high cost of purchasing and operating power generators which then make their goods and services often uncompetitive in the global and local markets.

Government says even though it succeeded in the last few days in hitting 4,200 megawwats, it is not sure if this can be sustained because of the constant vandalisation of the major pipelines which supply gas to the power companies.

It further says that the level of vandilisation on the major gas pipelines is having a serious negative impact on gas supply to the power plants.
Frank Edozien, Special Technical Assistant to the minister of Power, who spoke to BusinessDay, says although government had genuine intentions when it made the promise, saboteurs are frustrating its efforts.

Edozien says even though electricity generations as at today, is 4,200 megawatts, the rate of disruption does not give any confidence of sustainable supply for a long time.

He says on a weekly basis, the vandals sabotage government efforts at meeting the 4,000 megawatts mark.

He adds that efforts to police the pipelines have not been very effective.

“ The Trans -Forcados and Trans – Niger pipelines and even the Escravos- Lagos pipeline are also not spared. But the government is making efforts to arrest the issue.”

On whether the country has installed capacity to evacuate even the 4,000megawatts it is generating, in view of the current supply level, Edozien says the transmission lines can currently evacuate between 6,000 and 7,000 megawatts if there is enough power generated.
He adds however, that the lack of power supply to some areas could not be blamed entirely on lack of adequate power generation because the different distribution companies have their own internal problems.

Instead of the distribution companies addressing the issues within their networks, they prefer to blame it of lack of sufficient power supply from generation companies, he says.

Electricity consumers have been groaning because of lack of supply from the distribution companies, which is compounded by crazy or estimated bills which compel them to pay for service not rendered.

On several occasions this year, the Utorogu and Ughelli East gas plants were shut down for repair. The shutdown of the gas plants resulted in downturn in the electricity supply in some locations across the country.

Each time such a facility is shut down on account of vandalisation, it impacts on the output of power generation stations which get their gas supplies from these plants. The affected power plants include the largest power generating station in the country, Egbin power plant, located in Lagos and Omotosho power plant in Ondo.

Earlier in the year 2014 the Escravos- gas pipeline which collapsed under the weight of frequent vandalism, was repaired. The action of the vandals led to a drop of over 1,000-MW in the electricity generation level.

As Beks Dagogo-Jack, chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Power (PTFP) noted recently, with the large gas reserves available in Nigeria, there has been a focus on power generation on gas-fired power plants. However, recent problems with vandalism and attacks on crude and gas pipelines have revealed a significant risk point of the power reform in this regard.