A statement released by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has said that Nigeria’s paltry on-grid electricity supply capacity is to drop by about 300 megawatts (MW).
This disclosure was made in Abuja on Sunday January 26th 2014. TCN explained that the unavoidable drop in the quantity of power available for it to transmit to the distribution companies would be as a result of an expected shutdown of the power plant, Shiroro Hydro Power Plc.
The statement, which was signed by the Head of Public Communication of TCN, Seun Olagunju, explained that the drop would mostly affect northern states. It noted that the power plant had notified it of the imminent shutdown for three days, starting from Monday january 27 till Wednesday.
“The shutdown of the station is to enable the engineering maintenance crew of the Shiroro power station rectify ground fault on the station’s carbon dioxide control panel which provides vital auxiliary services necessary for the running of the power plant,” the statement explained.
It further stated that the control panel was a fire protection scheme for all the units in the power station and that if it was out on repairs, all the units in the station would have no protection against fire outbreak, hence the need to shut down all the units of the power plant.
“During the period, grid generation will reduce by 300MW, hence the nationwide load shedding. The impact of the load shedding would be higher in the northern axis of the nation, especially Kano, due to voltage instability issues previously affecting power supply in that axis,” it added.
TCN however apologized for the inconvenience that the planned load shedding would cause the federal government and electricity consumers nationwide during the period.
It assured Nigerians that it would continue to work with the power generating stations and distribution companies nationwide to improve and stabilize the power supply situation of the nation which has continued to dip from such issues as shortage of gas stock to thermal power plants among others.
With this expected drop from Shiroro, total nationwide power supply will likely stay at about 2,900MW from about 3,200MW that was last week broadcast from the National Control Centre in Osogbo, Osun State.
