Power drops by 2, 000MW as 18 power stations pack up

Nigerians need not wonder why there is no electricity supply to their houses and business establishments as the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) said on Monday, that 18 out of the 23 power plants in the country are unable to generate electricity due to shortage of gas supply to the thermal plants.

This is even as one of the hydro stations is faced with water management issue. As a result, the country has lost over 2,000 megawatts of electricity.

The NERC also blamed the poor power supply on increase in vandalism in the run up to the April 2015 elections.

The commission said, “But this bad supply condition has worsened in the last few days. At present, 18 out of the 23 power plants in the country are unable to generate electricity due to shortage of gas supply to the thermal plants, with one of the hydro stations faced with water management issue.”

In a similar development, the Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo, said it had become necessary to draw the attention of Nigerians to the fact that the strike by both senior and junior staff unions of the NNPC had resulted in the shutdown of major gas plants, including Utorogu, Chevron Oredo and Oben in the western axis.

He said Ughelli and CNL Escravos were already isolated, adding that the shutdown of Shell Gas, Alakiri, on the eastern axis, had caused several power plants to become stranded.

Other power plants that have been shut down, according to Nebo, include Egbin, Olorunshogo I and II, Geregu I and II, Ihonvor and Sapele NIPP plant on the eastern end.

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