Electricity customers across Nigeria will have to make do with poor power supply due to serious gas constraints to most of the country’s thermal generating stations.
A statement by the Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, reported the low gas supply to many power plants few weeks ago but the shortage has persisted till date.
This has restrained optimal generation into the National Grid and consequently the quantum of electricity transmitted to distribution load centres.
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, Olorunsosgo 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.
Also affected by the gas supply constraint are Omotosho NIPP generating 110MW with a shortfall of 220MW, meanwhile Egbin power plant and Alaoji NIPP, Delta, Okpai are equally affected by gas shortage.
Egbin is currently generating 596MW with a short fall of 264MW. Delta II-IV gas is generating 306.81MW with a shortfall of 128.19MW and Okpai Gas plant is generating 159MW with a shortfall of 291MW.
On the other hand, 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.
Presently, Azura and Odukpani power plants are the only 2 thermal power generating stations operating at full capacity into the National Grid.
With the current situation therefore, a few of the distribution companies that can pick more load are unable to, because what is generated into the grid is what TCN strives to distribute equitably to DisCo nationwide.
TCN insisted that the poor gas supply challenge has not abated but is getting worse, even after the maintenance of the gas pipelines and has urged that there is need to urgently address the issue of gas shortage to thermal generating power plants nationwide to avert serious system disturbance.