Four-power-plants-shut-militants-attacks

No fewer than four power plants became idle on
Sunday as a result of the attacks on oil and gas
facilities in the Niger Delta, bringing the total
number of plants not generating any megawatts of
electricity to 12.

There was significant reduction in generation from
virtually all the other plants producing electricity,
including Egbin in Lagos State and Alaoji in Abia
State.
The shut power plants are Sapele I in Delta State;
Geregu I and II in Kogi State; and Omotosho II in
Ondo, with their installed capacities put at 240MW,
138MW, 435MW and 500MW, respectively,
according to industry data obtained by our
correspondent.
As of 6am on Thursday, Sapele I generated 70MW;
Geregu I, 142MW; Geregu II, 135MW; and
Omotosho II produced 110.2MW.
Suspected militants in the Niger Delta had on
Wednesday night blown up Chevron’s Okan offshore
production platform, forcing the oil major to shut
down the facility.
On Thursday night, a pipeline transporting crude oil
to the Warri refinery and a 16-inch gas line, owned
by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation,
were also blown up by the suspected militants.
An industry source said the damage to Chevron’s
Okan platform on Wednesday had already cut
supply of associated gas from the Okan field,
adding that the gas supply shortfall worsened after
the development on Thursday.
Sapele’s units ST1 and 2 were said to have been
shut down due to gas constraints; with the ST3
undergoing rehabilitation; ST4 and 5 awaiting major
overhaul; while ST6 tripped and shut down on gas
control valve not following reference point.
Geregu I saw its unit GT11 shut down due to gas
constraints; GT12 for major overhaul; and GT13 was
said to be out on maintenance.
At Geregu II and Omotosho II, all the available units
are out due to gas constraints.
The total national power generation stood at
2,223.4MW as of 6am on Sunday, down from
3,183.9MW on May 5.
The slide in power generation has worsened the
blackout being experienced in many parts of the
country, with many consumers without electricity
throughout the weekend.
Generation from Egbin, the nation’s biggest power
station, stood at 315MW, down from 1,085MW on
March 15. It generated 220MW on Thursday.
The station’s unit ST1 was said to have tripped on
generator CB trouble; while ST2 and 3 were not on
spinning reserve due to Egbin G/S management
decision. Units ST4 and 5 were reportedly out due
to gas constraints.
The Egbin power plant, which is situated in Lagos,
has the capacity to contribute about 1,320MW to
the national grid.
As of May 5, eight power stations, including Shiroro
Power Station in Niger State, Olorunsogo II in Ogun
State, and Rivers and Trans-Amadi IPPs, both in
Rivers State, were idle.
Shell’s Afam VI power plant generated the highest
megawatts of electricity at 501MW as of 6am on
Sunday, the data showed.

Source

http://www.punchng.com/four-power-plants-shut-
militants-attacks/