Power generation hits record high but how long will this last?

Nigeria, on Wednesday,
attained a new level in
power generation, for
the first time in history
generating 4,307.7
Megawatts, plus
170MW which serves as
spinning reserve,
bringing the total
quantum of power to
4,477.7MW.
This recent peak
surpasses the record
level of 4,237MW
realised on Monday,
August 6, 2012, by
240.7MW.
Nigeria also broke a
previous record in
power generation in
August, 2010 when
3,800MV was
generated, but the
system crashed within
a few minutes due to
poor maintenance of
the transmission
infrastructure.
Nonetheless, the
minister of power,
Professor Barth Nnaji,
said about the current
achievement: “The good
news is that every
power generated is
wheeled comfortably.”
Simeon Atakulu, a one-
time PHCN executive
director and former
chief executive of the
Egbin Power station in
Ikorodu, Lagos State,
said: “It is significant
that the new record in
generation has been
set, even with the
1,200MW Egbin plant,
the nation’s flagship
power generator, doing
only 600MW because it
is undergoing routine
maintenance. This
means we have a spare
power capacity of over
300MW.”
This latest productivity
increase came from the
600MW Shiroro hydro
station in Niger State,
which was wrongfully
reported to have been
shut down by some
junior staff regarding
pension funds.
It was also reported
that the Nigerian Gas
Company, a subdivision
of the Nigerian National
Petroleum Company
(NNPC), increased its
supply of gas to power
stations, in line with
instructions from
President Goodluck
Jonathan and Petroleum
Resources Minister
Diezani Allison-Madueke.
It is expected that
power available to
Nigerians would
increase further before
the month runs out.
Nnaji stated that one
unit of 112.5MW at the
Omotosho plant of the
National Integrated
Power Project (NIPP) in
Ondo State will start to
run this month, adding
that he will soon travel
to Ugheli in Delta State
in preparation for the
addition of 200MW from
the Delta Power Plant
later this month.
One unit of 112.5MW will
be commissioned next
month at the NIPP plant
at Ihonvbe on the
outskirts of Benin, Edo
State, with another unit
of the same capacity
scheduled to start
power supply in
October, the same
month one unit of
112.5MW of the second
phase of the Geregu
plant in Kogi State will
be commissioned.