The General Manager, Public Affairs of Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Mrs. Ndidi Mbah, has stated that 8 thermal power generating stations are currently unable to generate electricity and have therefore been shut down as a result of gas pipeline rupture on the 15th of June, 2018, as well as technical issues at the Shell gas wells on the 16th of June this year.
According to Ndidi, this has also resulted into a sharp drop in generation of electricity into the National Grid by a total of 1,087.6MW with resultant to load-shedding nationwide as a necessity to maintain stability of the grid due to the NGC pipeline incident.
The affected power stations include the Ihovbor, Azura, Omotosho gas, Geregu gas, Olorunsogo gas, Sapele and the Egbin Power Station which has managed to generate 60MW only on each of its units, losing a total of 211MW.
Also, Afam VI power station was shut down so that Shell Oil Company can resolve its gas well issues to enable it to commence gas supply to Afam VI power station.
With a total loss of 1,087.6MW into the grid, the transmission system has become quite fragile but TCN is working hard to avert a collapse of the system, by engaging in load-shedding, Mrs Ndidi hinted.
According to her: Load-shedding is to ensure that available generation commensurate with what is allocated to discos nationwide, to create a balance and avert grid instability.
She added that NGC is making efforts to ensure that the gas pipeline issues are resolved in order to restore normal gas supply to the affected power generating stations, to enable them to generate into the grid.
She also explained that Shell has resolved its gas well issue this morning and gas supply partially restored to Afam VI.
TCN also confirmed that there was indeed total collapse of the grid as reported by some media.
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