The output from power generating plants in the country as at Thursday dropped to 2,841MW, despite President Muhammadu Buhari’s pronouncement that his administration will generate 10,000 megawatts, MW before the expiration of its term in 2019.
According to reports in the Nigerian Systems Operations Department of the Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, website, www.nsong.org, power generation dropped to 2,841MW.
The President’s declaration, Tuesday was greeted with lots of skepticism from various stakeholders, who argued that it was a mission impossible given the current state of the Nigerian power sector, which is characterized by weak and obsolete system.
TCN stated that the Federal Government’s target of 10,000MW was not feasible, stressing that former President Olusegun Obasanjo had also made the same promise in 2010 but never came to pass.
It advised that to achieve the set target by 2019, 3,333MW must be generated yearly for the next three years.
TCN however observed that the challenges meeting this target is that the weak transmission network, which cannot wheel that amount of power, given that the much talked about transmission grid has not been constructed.
“The transmission system in Nigeria comprises 330 KV and 132 KV circuits and substations and the highest maximum daily energy wheeled nationwide was the one-off 109,372MWH, which was attained when generation output hit a record 5,074MW on February 2, 2016.
“Also, except new capacities come on stream, all the existing power plants in Nigeria cannot generate 10,000MW, while the 11 existing distribution companies, DISCOs, cannot accommodate the 10,000MW due to weak tools and equipment.”
Meanwhile, reports from the Systems Operations however did not state any reasons for the drop in power generation.
Comentarios