The average generation capacity of Nigerian electricity industry, especially the generating companies of Nigeria (Gencos)in the month of April averaged 5,461 megawatts. However, the average generation was 3,812.56megawatts per day with an average of 1,648.77megawatts recorded as stranded.
According to a document cited by Business Standards, for 12 days of the month of April, the average generated electricity stood above 4,000 megawatts while the lowest generation for that month was 1,581 MW, and this was on the 9th of April, a day the industry average generation capacity came low to 2, 978mw. The figure for stranded generation was highest on April 23, with about 2,406mw.
It would be recalled that Electricity Distribution companies across the country tried to defend themselves against a report by the Transmission Company of Nigeria TCN over the allegation that they rejected 2,495.3 megawatts of electricity within a week.
The distribution companies under the umbrella of the Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors (ANED), claimed that it was only 668 MW of energy was unutilized by it members.
Debunking the claim, Sunday Oduntan, Executive Director, Research and Advocacy for the insisted yesterday, in Abuja, that the energy supply to DisCos has been challenged.
According to him, there were many times that there were low supplies of electricity all over the country before the month of April. He said this was a result of the various factors stated by Minister of Power, Abubakar Aliyu, in his press briefing on March 16. As such, the energy supplied to the distribution end of the value chain has been constrained.
Given a breakdown of how the other sectors in the electricity value chain performed during the period under review, he said, review of the system operator’s report of Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), relative to the DisCos’ rejection of 2,495.3 MW on April 2 through April 8, showed inconsistency.
DisCos, he said, did not receive the full value of their nomination for the period due to constraints, adding that for the same period, only 668 MW of energy was unutilised by the DisCos.
He noted: “A further review of the report, for the same period, would indicate that 8,038.70 MW was unutilised or constrained due to gas supply limitations (7,443 MW) and water management issues (595.70 MW).
He stated that the DisCos remain committed to continually improving electricity supply services, based on the energy made available to them on the grid daily. Additionally, we continue to believe that the challenges of the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) can best be resolved with collaboration and alignment of all the interests of the stakeholders, as against finger-pointing or sensationalist reporting.”
olusola Bello
