Nigeria’s electricity supply will hit 6,000megawatts within the next nine months as Egbin Power Station, the country’s biggest power-generating plant with a capacity of 1,320megawatts will hit its full capacity within this period, when the repair of Unit 6 would have been completed.
The current power supply hovers around 4,000mw and some of the National Integrated Power Projects (NIPP), including the 1,074mw-capacity Alaoji Power Plant in Abia State, will also come on stream in the first and second quarter of 2012.
Chief Executive of Egbin Power Station, Mr. Mike Uzoigwe, stated that the repair of Unit 6 would be completed within the next nine months, while briefing the Chairman and members of the House of Representatives Committee on Power, who were on a recent inspection tour of the plant.Uzoigwe, who noted that the plant currently has an available capacity of 1,080mw, also stated that the low reliability of the available and operating units was due to poor maintenance and overhauls.
He said there was inadequate funding to sustain the repairs, adding that the late release of approved funds from the budget office has made it impossible for the plant to hit the targets and plans.
He said the repair of Unit 1 had been successful, while the unit was synchronised in December last year, adding 220mw to the grid.
The CEO said while each of Units 1,2,3 and 5 had the capacity to generate its full target of 220mw, Unit 4 has a capacity to generate only 200mw, having lost 20mw.
The Egbin plant boss disclosed that contracts had been awarded for the repair of unit 4 for the recovery of the 20mw, but added that the repair work was put on hold due to inadequate funding.
He revealed that work had started for the repair of Unit 6, with an ambitious target of delivering additional 220mw in the next nine months, and appealed for uninterrupted funding to sustain the tempo of ongoing repair work on the unit.
Uzoigwe said the generator Rotor for Unit 6 was received from Japan in December 2010, while contract had been awarded for the repair of Unit 1 turbine.
“The turbine will be used to run Unit 6. This has been the only committed contract awarded since this year 2011,” he said.
“Egbin plant needs more funding to enable us carry out mandatory overhauls. Funding has been the biggest constraint in maintaining the infrastructure in good operating condition,” he added.
Uzoigwe traced the present better stability in the system to the spinning reserve maintained from the Egbin plant and appealed to the authorities to ensure that the retooling of the plant controls was done without further delay.
According to him, a system spinning reserve of 190mw was being sustained from the Egbin Station.
Uzoigwe, who noted that the Egbin plant is the biggest single power plant in Africa, except South Africa, said the plant was being run by a rear collection of dedicated and experienced staff for the last 27 years.
He stated that the station contributed between two-thirds and one-quarter of the national power output at different times.
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