70% of NNPC gas production to be dedicated to power plants to boost power generation

As part of efforts to increase power generation in the country, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has said it will dedicate 70 percent of gas produced following the completion of four infrastructure projects by Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) and international oil companies (IOCs) in the next few months to increase generation capacity by approximately 2000mw by the middle of 2017.

However, planned maintenance by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), may negatively affect power supply as the 300MW Okpai power plant tower which was earlier vandalised would be shot down for it to be repaired to restore a 55km transmission line. The hydroelectric power stations (Kainji, Jebba and Shiroro) agreed to work with TCN to boost output during the two-week outage period to minimize the effect of the outage.

Also, the DisCos are to reinvigorate efforts to replacing obsolete transformers and deploy new ones where necessary other than allowing communities to procure transformers for service they are willing to pay.

These amongst other issues were part of a communiqué issued at the end of the 6th monthly meeting of the minister of power, works and housing with operators of the power sector, held on Monday, at Kumbotso Transmission Station, Kano, according to a statement by Hakeem Bello, special adviser to the minister of power, works and housing.

A”A total of 855 mmsfcd is expected to be added to the domestic gas supply in the short term of which about 70% is sent to power plants for use in generation. It is estimated that the increase in gas supply to power plants will increase generation capacity by approximately 2000 MW by the middle of 2017. The meeting also resolved to persuade oil and gas producers to explore better ways of re-injection to boost oil production by using water instead of gas, in order to increase the amount of gas available for domestic consumption”, the communiqué read in part.

Babatunde Fashola, minister of power, works and housing, chaired the sixth monthly meeting of operators in the electricity industry in furtherance of identifying, discussing and finding practical solutions to issues facing the Nigerian electricity supply industry with operators fully represented at the highest executive management levels, including Managing Directors and CEOs of Generating Companies (GenCos), Distribution Companies (DisCos), and the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), as well as various government agencies such as the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC), Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC), the Nigerian Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trader (NBET), the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA) responsible for the regulation and development of the electricity industry.

“In furtherance of aggressive metering plans, the meeting commended Kano DisCo for the launch of 68,000 out of its 100,000 meter roll out plan for 2016. All DisCos agreed to use all available media including social media to let the public know all the work being done to roll out metering.

“Transmission Company of Nigeria reported completion of 20 projects since the last meeting. The projects are in Gwagwalada, Kaduna, Afam, Apo, Lekki and Omotosho (Ondo State). Their completion should improve distribution in Abuja and Lagos. TCN announced its continuing efforts to improve electricity transmission to be reported at each subsequent meeting. Of particular note is a commitment by TCN to restore power to Maiduguri, Borno State’s Capital in the next month after a long period of outage”.

The meeting further sympathized with the victims of electrocution under Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) and commended the company for prompt compensation to the victims.