Power Generation Drops By 8.22% In Q1 2024 Amid Grid Challenges
Nigeria’s power generation sector faced significant challenges in the first quarter of 2024, with a notable decrease in electricity output and several grid incidents impacting the national grid’s stability, a report has said.
The Q1 2024 report released by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) over the weekend, stated that the average hourly generation of available units dropped by 8.22 per cent from 4,433.82 MWh/h in Q4 2023 to 4,069.57 MWh/h in Q1 2024.
This reduction, according to the commission, translated to a decline of 364.25 MWh/h.
The report also noted that the total electricity generation also saw a significant decline, falling by 9.21 per cent or 901.94 GWh, from 9,789.87 GWh in the last quarter of 2023 to 8,887.93 GWh in Q1 2024.
The drop in gross energy generation was primarily attributed to the reduced available generation capacities of grid-connected power plants compared to the previous quarter.
During the period, the month of February also witnessed a particularly sharp decrease in energy generation, with notable reductions from key power plants: Egbin ST (Gas) decreased by 142.19 MWh, Rivers IPP by 105.60 MWh, Olorunsogo NIPP by 53.32 MWh, and Geregu by 41.49 MWh.
It, however, added that Omotosho NIPP did not generate any electricity in February due to gas unavailability.
NERC stated that grid performance during this period also showed troubling signs, with the average lower daily system frequency at 49.00 Hz and the average upper daily frequency at 50.68 Hz, both outside the normal operating limits of 49.75 Hz – 50.25 Hz.
It stated further that the average lower daily system voltage was recorded at 297.60 kV, and the upper daily voltage at 353.18 kV, which were outside the regulatory limits of 313.50 kV – 346.50 kV.
The Commission, however, expressed concerns over the continuous operation of the grid outside normal operating limits, and urged the System Operator (SO) to enhance system coordination activities to mitigate risks.
