Power generation companies suffer nationwide system collapse

The supply of electricity across the country suffered a temporarily setback on Thursday as power generation collapsed completely for about three hours.

This is even as the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), on Thursday, admitted that there is currently not enough power for distribution.

Also, Fashola on Thursday finally resolved the lingering dispute between Geometric Power Company Aba, and Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) that has hampered the delivery of electricity in the Aba and Araria axis of Abia State

The system collapse happened at exactly 12.58pm, resulting in zero megawatt of electricity generated till about 3pm.

Data from the country’s System Operator showed that around 1pm on Thursday, no power generation company in Nigeria produced a single megawatt of electricity.

As a result of the complete system collapse, no electricity distribution company received load allocation beginning from when the collapse was recorded up till around 3pm.

The SO stated that the 11 distribution companies got zero electricity load allocation during the period of the collapse, meaning that for about three hours on Thursday no part of Nigeria got power supply from the national grid.

It was however learnt that supply of electricity was restored around 3pm.

Confirming the development, an operator in the sector who refused his name in print said: “The power crisis being experienced nationwide since Tuesday this week worsened on Thursday with a total system collapse at exactly 12.58pm. At that point, the nation went to ground zero, with all the Discos receiving zero MW allocation from the System Operator.”

Sources in the sector blamed the complete collapse in power generation on the extent of destruction of infrastructure and gas pipelines vandalism that had happened in the industry over the past years, as well as the poor upgrade of power installations across the country.

Meanwhile, Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), on Thursday admitted that there is currently not enough power to distribute unless more turbines are switched on.

He attributed recent power outages in some parts of the country to four turbines which stopped working, but hoped electricity supply would be stabilised soon as three of the four turbines have been restored.

The Minister also expressed hope that President Muhammadu Buhari’s 10,000 megawatts target would be met.

He, however, decried acts of vandalism which he said is causing some of the energy problems in the country.

In another development, Fashola on Thursday finally resolved the lingering dispute between Geometric Power Company Aba, and Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) that has hampered the delivery of electricity in the Aba and Araria axis of Abia State.

Recall that Geometric Power and Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) have been locked in claims and counter claims of over ownership of assets since the privatisation exercise transacted in handing over assets at distribution and generation value chain of electricity supply.

Speaking at the formal signing of agreements, the Minister described the occasion as symbolic in the sense that Government has demonstrated the efficacy of common sense prevailing of legality or otherwise.

He advised the people of Abia State that they need more power for the fledging manufacturing concerns, adding that the resolution has further demonstrated to the private sector that there are many more opportunities as many more things are bound to happen in years to come.

He said: “Within one Disco, it is possible to have more than one actor, portends hope, and that more opportunities are around the corner”.

Fashola further admonished Nigerians that they should realise that primarily, the country needs to generate more; hence more energy would be required for incremental power generation as directed by President Muhammadu Buhari at the last Economic Summit in which he said the sector should produce additional 2,000MW before the end of the year 2016.

He challenged all Nigerians to contribute their quota in solving the problem of insufficient power from top to down in the public interest through collaboration rather than bickering over assets in which past government have sold assets to two different entities.

Also the representative of EEDC, Adetokunbo Kayode, SAN, commended the doggedness of Government officials, particularly the office of the Vice President in finding a lasting solution to the crises which is informed by the realisation of the importance of power to Nigerians, hence the decision to jettison the courts for co-operation and collaboration.

Prof. Bart Nnaji, of Geometric Power said that a major test in the vision of the private sector driven electricity industry is that its crisis was resolved amicably. He commended the patience, diligence of Government officials who ensured a new style of conflict resolution produced concrete result.