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150MW of electricity stranded at C’River plant

By Anietie Akpan, Tina Todo (Calabar), Emeka Anuforo (Abuja) and Adelowo Adebumiti (Lagos)
13 April 2016   |   2:58 am
Amid the prevailing parlous power supply confronting the nation, it has emerged that about 150 megawatts of electricity at the Odukpani National Independent Power Plant (NIPP) are stranded.
NERC

NERC

• Ministers working to increase gas supplies to power facilities
• NERC activates pact to boost Lagos by 220MW
Amid the prevailing parlous power supply confronting the nation, it has emerged that about 150 megawatts of electricity at the Odukpani National Independent Power Plant (NIPP) are stranded.

The disclosure came to the fore during the fourth meeting between the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola and stakeholders in the power sector in Odupkani, Cross River State.

Represented by the Permanent Secretary, Louis Edozien, the minister, while reading the communiqué, directed the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company to fast-track the distribution of the stranded 150 megawatts to lines and sub-stations.

The Niger Delta Power Holding Company Limited (NDPHCL), it was learnt, is already perfecting plans to distribute the stranded megawatts to customers in Calabar and Ikot Ekpene in tune with the directive.

Fashola revealed that the five generating units would start supplying power to Akwa Ibom, Enugu, Makurdi and Jos between now and August.

Meanwhile, Fashola and his Petroleum Resources counterpart, Ibe Kachikwu, are to facilitate additional gas supplies to power plants.

A communiqué, issued by Fashola after a meeting with sectoral players in Abuja, highlighted how shortage of gas had affected output from power stations connected to the Escravos–Lagos Pipeline System (ELPS).

It added that the ministers were also mulling repairs of the Forcados Oil Export Line to ameliorate the gas shortage.
“The meeting committed to treating all decisions made as binding. To this end, a unanimous resolution was made regarding strong sanctions against operators who fail to act on decisions agreed at the meeting.

“The meeting acknowledged the need to improve on the responsiveness and awareness of the Discos, Customer Complaints Units (CCU) to ensure that all complaints from paying customers are acknowledged and resolved swiftly,” the document read in part.

However, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has announced activation of a tripartite agreement involving Ikeja and Eko Discos as well as Egbin power plant to provide Lagos with 220 megawatts of electricity.

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