By Nse Anthony-Uko
(Sundiata Post) — Two days into the new year, Nigeria’s power transmission grid has recorded a first major collapse on Tuesday night due to a fire incident on a gas supply pipeline leading to widespread blackout across the country.
“Regrettably, after a sustained period of increasing production and distribution of power since September 2017 to date, the Nigerian Gas Processing and Transportation Company Ltd (NGPTC) has reported a fire incident on its Escravos Lagos Pipeline System near Okada, Edo State on Tuesday, 2nd January, 2018,” said a statement from the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing.
As a result of the incident, a shutdown of the pipeline supplying gas to Egbin 1,320MW; Olorunsogo NIPP 676MW, Olorunsogo 338MW, Omotosho NIPP 450MW, Omotosho 338 MW and Paras 60MW power stations were effected.
The sudden loss of generation due to interruption in gas supply from these stations caused the national transmission grid to trip off around 20:20on 2nd January 2018. The national transmission grid is owned and operated by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).
Nigeria generates 74 per cent of its power from thermal power stations that require gas for fuel.
The gas is produced by oil and gas companies overseen by the Ministry of Petroleum Resources. The gas is delivered to the power stations through pipelines owned and operated by Nigerian Gas Processing and Transportation Company Ltd (NGPTC), a subsidiary of Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC).
“TCN and the generation companies are working to restore operation of the national grid. Once the national grid is restored output from the hydroelectric power stations and all other unaffected gas fired thermal power stations will be increased to the extent possible to minimize the impact of loss of generation from the affected power stations while NNPC takes necessary steps to restore gas supply,” says the statement.
Pipeline Vandalism: National Grid Records First Collapse in 2018
Loading...
