Discos unveil metering plans for 2016 as Gencos demand improved gas supply
Electricity distribution companies (Discos) operating in Nigeria have unveiled plans for metering their customers and ending or at least reducing estimated in the nation’s power sector.
This metering commitment was made yesterday at the end of the 4th monthly meeting of the minister of power, works and housing with operators in the power sector, at the Calabar power plant, located at Odukpani, Cross River State.
Louis Edozien, permanent secretary (power) of the federal ministry of power, works and housing, chaired the meeting, which was attended by operators in the power sector in furtherance of identifying, discussing and finding practical solutions to issues militating against the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI).
In this regard, Eko, Kano, Kaduna and Jos Discos confirmed plans to aggressively deploy recently procured metering starting in May 2016.
The Abuja Disco said it plans to meter 100,000 households by the end of 2016, as the Port Harcourt Disco assured it will install 110,000 by year end 2016.
It was also resolved that Port Harcourt Disco and the Calabar and Ibom Power Plants should proceed with their bilaterally negotiated agreement to supply stranded energy in the two power plants, beginning with a supply of 150mw to 250 mw.
Louis Edozien, permanent secretary (power) of the federal ministry of power, works and housing, chaired the meeting, which was attended by operators in the power sector in furtherance of identifying, discussing and finding practical solutions to issues militating against the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI).
In this regard, Eko, Kano, Kaduna and Jos Discos confirmed plans to aggressively deploy recently procured metering starting in May 2016.
The Abuja Disco said it plans to meter 100,000 households by the end of 2016, as the Port Harcourt Disco assured it will install 110,000 by year end 2016.
It was also resolved that Port Harcourt Disco and the Calabar and Ibom Power Plants should proceed with their bilaterally negotiated agreement to supply stranded energy in the two power plants, beginning with a supply of 150mw to 250 mw.
Under the bilateral arrangement, the Port Harcourt Disco will invest in infrastructure in Akwa Ibom and Cross River to receive the power and deliver it to customers at the tariffs approved by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).
NERC also announced the activation of the agreement between Paras Energy and Eko Disco to provide 40mw of energy to the Lagos and the agreement between Ikeja and Eko discos with Egbin power plant for dedicated power supply totaling 220mw.
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) declared that projects critical to improving power distribution in Aja, Kebbi, Kafanchan, Otukpo, Makurdi, Wudil, Afam, Daura, and Kwanar Dangora are either completed or nearing completion.
The problem of gas supply shortage was acknowledged at the power sector stakeholder’s forum, which they said was limiting power output from power stations that are connected to the ELPS pipeline and gave credence to ongoing discussions between the minister of power works and housing and the ministry of petroleum resources to facilitate additions in gas supply, including the repair of the Forcados Oil Export Line to ameliorate the gas shortage.
Operators at the highest executive management level who attended the event, include the managing directors and CEOs of Gencos, Discos, TCN, as well as various government agencies such as the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC), Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trader (NBET), Gas Aggregating Company of Nigeria (GACN), the Nigerian Electricity Liability Management Company (NELMCO), NERC and Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency NEMSA.
To this end, a unanimous resolution was made in support of strong sanctions against power sector operators who fail to act on decisions agreed upon at the meeting.
Participants at the meeting acknowledged the need to improve on the responsiveness of Discos’ customer complaints units (CCU) in order to ensure that all complaints from customers are resolved swiftly.
For this reason, resolutions were made to publicize dedicated customer complaints lines in four national newspapers by each Disco within the next two weeks.