Emmanuel Ukudolo
Nigeria, April 12, 2016 – The Egbin Power Plant, Lagos, the Port Harcourt DisCo, Calabar and Ibom Power Plants will in a matter of days inject about 370 to 470 megawatts into the national grid to boost power supply in Nigeria.
The decision to increase power by that much was contained in a communiqué after a meeting of relevant stakeholders in the power sector in Abuja.
Among those at the event are Managing Directors and CEOs of Generating Companies (GenCos), Distribution Companies (DisCos), and the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), as well as various government agencies such as the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trader (NBET), Gas Aggregating Company of Nigeria (GACN), the Nigerian Electricity Liability Management Company (NELMCO), the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA) responsible for the regulation and development of the electricity industry.
”The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) informed the meeting of the activation of the agreement between Paras Energy and Eko DisCo to provide 40MW to the Lagos area, as well as the agreement between Ikeja and Eko DisCos, with Egbin power plant for dedicated supply totaling 220MW.
“The meeting resolved that Port Harcourt DisCo and Calabar and Ibom Power Plants can proceed with their bilaterally negotiated agreement to supply currently stranded power, starting with 150MW to 250 MW. Port Harcourt DisCo will invest in infrastructure in Akwa Ibom and Cross River to receive the power and deliver it to customers at the approved tariff”, the stakeholders said in the communiqué.
In this regard, Eko, Kano, Kaduna and Jos DisCos confirmed plans to aggressively deploy recently procured metering starting in May 2016.
“Abuja DisCo assured the meeting that it plans to meter 100,000 households by the end of the year, and Port Harcourt DisCo intends to install 110,000 by the end of the year”, the communiqué said.
The meeting, chaired by Permanent Secretary (Power) of the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Louis Edozien acknowledged the shortage of gas, limiting power output from power stations connected to the ELPS pipeline, and supported ongoing discussions between the Honourable Minister of Power Works and Housing, and Ministry of Petroleum Resources to facilitate additions in gas supply and the repair of the Forcados Oil Export Line to ameliorate the gas shortage.
