Nigerian electricity supply drops to just over 2,600MW as heavy rainfall damages power plants

NIGERIA'S generated electricity has plunged from just over 4,000MW over the last week to 2,616.7MW as heavy rainfall that has swept across parts of the country has damaged several power plants resulting in them becoming redundant.

 

Plagued by a chronic problem of inadequate electricity supply, Nigeria only generates about 4,297MW, which is about only 10% of demand. This has resulted in most people having to use private generators, with a devastating environmental effect as diesel fumes and noise pollution are now the norm in most Nigerian cities.

 

Over the last few weeks, Nigeria has entered her rainy season and the heavy rainfall has added to these woes by halving electricity output. Apparently, electricity generation plunged to 2,616.7MW after heavy rainfall in Lagos damaged some power facilities according to the Nigeria Electricity System Operator, an arm of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).

 

Six power plants at Alaoji, Olorunsogo, Ihovbor, Gbarain, Aes and Asco currently lie idle. Nigeria's total installed generation capacity is 12,910.40MW in theory but now, less than 20% of this is available as the rains have compounded an existing distribution and transmission problem.

 

Nigeria generates most of its electricity from gas-fired power plants, while output from hydropower plants makes up about 30% of the total. Nationally, the TCN, which manages the national grid, is still fully owned and operated by the government but it has constantly suffered from collapses over the years amid a lack of spinning reserves meant to forestall these recent occurrences.

 

Spinning reserves are the generation capacity that is online but unloaded and can be called upon within 10 minutes to compensate for generation or transmission outages. Out of the five power stations meant to provide spinning reserves, none has any actual reserve, with the contracted reserve put at 295MW.

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