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Optimising Hydro Plants Would Reduce Gas Plants’ Energy, Says APGC

September 20, 2019

Constraints on the national grid will mean that other power plants will have to take a backseat, while the 1,500MW of power from Jebba, Sharoro and Kainji power stations are fully absorbed.

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The order of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission that electricity generated by the country’s hydro plants should be fully utilised, will lead to a reduction in the maximisation of power produced by gas-heated plants. 

This is according to the Executive Secretary of the Association of Power Generation Companies, Joy Agaji.

Agaji said the order was in line with current weather conditions but constraints on the national grid will mean that other power plants will have to take a backseat, while the 1,500MW of power from Jebba, Sharoro and Kainji power stations are fully absorbed.

She said, “This directive is understandable given the risks of flooding. 

“However, this means that thermal plants will suffer since load allocation is fixed. 

“Therefore, they will be dispatched less. There is an electricity dispatch schedule for every plant but there are always exceptions to every rule. 

“The flooding of communities is one of those exceptions to the rule. 

“Ordinarily, it wouldn’t have affected the thermal plants but for the limitation of the national grid. 

“If you put the capacity of the hydros together, it’s about 1,500, while the available generation capacity is 7,500. 

“If what the Transmission Company of Nigeria is claiming that the grid has 8,100MW carrying capacity, nobody will be short-changed.” 

Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, had on August 15 said poor distribution of infrastructure forced power generation down to 4,000MW. 

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