File Photo
Power generation in the country plunged to 2 , 390 . 20 megawatts
on Monday as the number of idle power plants rose from seven to 15,
according to the latest data from the Federal Ministry of Power , Works
and Housing.
Total electricity generation has been hovering below 4,000 MW in recent months and stood at 3 , 741 . 30MW as of 6 am on Sunday.
The nation generates most of its electricity from gas -fired power
plants, while output from hydropower plants makes up about 30 per cent
of the total .
But the three hydropower plants accounted for more than 50 per cent
of the electricity generated as of 6 am on Monday, with Kainji , Jebba
and Shiroro producing 366 MW , 354 MW and 494 MW , respectively.
Egbin , the biggest power station in the country , saw its output drop to 176 MW on Monday from 306 MW on Saturday.
The idle plants are Sapele , Afam IV & V, Geregu , Omotosho ,
Geregu NIPP , Alaoji , Omotosho NIPP , Odukpani NIPP , Ihovbor NIPP ,
Gbarain NIPP , Okpai , Afam VI , AES , ASCO and Rivers IPP.
The PUNCH had reported on Monday that electricity generation
companies in the country were saying that their plants were being forced
to operate below their optimal capacity levels.
The Executive Secretary, Association of Power Generation Companies,
the umbrella body for the Gencos, Dr Joy Ogaji , in an emailed response
to questions from our correspondent, attributed the problem to
transmission and distribution.
She said, “Specifically , generation companies are pinned down
by some operational impediments . The frequency of instructions to
either increase load or decrease load ( ramp up and ramp down) and, in
some cases, shut down, has induced damaging stresses to the components
of the machines .
“These instructions, reflective of the grid behaviour, are
subjecting key electrical components of the power plants to operational
stresses. Our available generation has always been steady between 7 ,
500 MW and 8 , 000 MW ; you can check the records at the National
Control Centre , Osogbo.