*Faulty plants frustrate power generation
* 38 turbines out of operation
* N17.9bn spent annually on generators
By Clara Nwachukwu
LAGOS — No fewer than 38 electricity generating turbines are grounded
in various power plants in the country, Vanguard investigations can
reveal.
These technically faulty gas turbines, as a result, are unable to
generate their required power output, thus compounding Nigeria’s already
poor electricity supply situation.
Excuses and more excuses
For a while now, Nigerians have been given all manner of excuses for
the recent drop in electricity supply despite assurances of improvement,
but investigations have shown that it will take even a while longer
before the country can experience some reprieve. This is because
virtually all the generation plants are bugged down with one technical
problem or the other.
The reality is such that even if the Federal Government fulfils its
pledge to revamp these faulty plants, Nigerians will still not have
enough power to meet their industrial and domestic energy needs.
This is because not only are the plants allegedly being starved of
gas notably from its major suppliers, the international oil companies,
IOCs, the transmission and distribution networks are still too weak to
carry and supply even the little that is generated.
For instance Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial nerve centre, which is
estimated to require between 10,000 and 12,000 mega watts, MWs, is only
able to get a paltry 928MWs, out of the 3,714MWs generated, while Abuja
receives a mere 44.2MW, as shown in the data below.
Daily Report
(16-12-12)
Peak demand forecast 10200MW at 21:00 Hrs: Actual generation
capability 4370MW
at
21:45Hrs
Peak generation 3714.8MW at 21:45 Hrs: Lowest generation 3118MW at 15:00 Hrs
Energy generated 83,411.40MWH Energy sent out 81,790.05MWH;
Peak generation to date 4321.3MW Max. energy
generation capability to
date
96,768.53MWH;
Max power despatched to Lagos 928.00MW @ 09:00Hrs; Max. power
despatched to
Abuja
44.20MW @ 22.00Hrs.
The effect of these supply inadequacies is that Nigeria has become a
dumping ground for all manner of sub-standard generating sets, apart
from being one of the highest importers of generating sets in the world.
NNPC promises improved gas supply
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, the senior partner
in the joint venture, JV, oil and gas operation, promised that the
power supply situation would improve as system overhaul on the Escravos
Lagos Gas Pipeline, would have been completed last weekend and gas
supply restored to Egbin power plants
Executive Director, Gas and Power, NNPC, Dr. David Ige, in a
telephone conversation with Vanguard, revealed: “Chevron will soon be
ramping up production. The Escravos Lagos Pipeline has been undergoing
routine maintenance in the last three weeks. It will take another three
to four days to ramp up production.”
He noted that with Chevron being the major gas supplier, it was
expected that “there will be some rationing. But by the weekend, the
situation would have significantly improved.”
The NNPC, through its subsidiary, Nigerian Gas Company, NGC, operates the following gas supply systems in the country:
1. The Aladja Gas Pipeline System which supplies the Delta Steel Company, Aladja.
2. The Oben-Ajaokuta-Geregu Gas Pipeline System, which will form the
back-bone of the proposed Northern Pipeline System, supplies Gas to
Ajaokuta Steel Company, Dangote’s Obajana Cement Company and PHCN Geregu
Power Plant.
3. The Sapele Gas Supply Systems which supplies gas to PHCN Power Station at Ogorode, Sapele.
4. The Imo River-Aba System for gas supply to the International Glass
Industry Limited PZ, Aba Textile Mills and Aba Equitable Industry.
5. The Obigbo North-Afam system caters for PHCN Power Station at Afam.
6. The Alakiri to Onne Gas pipeline system supplies gas to the
National Fertiliser Company (NAFCON) now Notore Chemicals for fertilizer
production;
7. The Alakiri-Obigbo North -lkot Abasi system for gas supply to the
former Aluminium Smelting Company of Nigeria (ALSCON) plant now Rusal
Industries in Ikot Abasi.
8. The Escravos-Lagos Pipeline (ELP) supplies gas to NEPA’s Egbin
Power Plant near Lagos. Subsequent spur lines from the ELP supply the
West African Portland Cement (WAPCO) Plants at Shagamu and Ewekoro, PZ
Industries at Ikorodu, City Gate in lkeja Lagos, PHCN Delta IV at
Ughelli, and Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company at Warri.
9. Ibafo-Ikeja Gas Supply Pipeline System supplies gas to Ikeja City
Gate from where Gaslink distributes to the Lagos Industrial Area (LIA).
10. Ikeja-Ilupeju-Apapa Gas Pipeline System currently operated by Gaslink for Gas Supplies to Greater Lagos Industrial Area.
11. Ajaokuta-Geregu Gas Pipeline System which supplies gas to the Geregu PHCN Power Plant.
12. Ajaokuta-Obajana Gas Pipeline System which supplies gas to Dangote’s Obajana Cement Plant (OCP).
“All these facilities comprise over 1,250 kilometres of pipelines
ranging from 4” to 36″ in diameter with an over all design capacity of
more than 2.5 billion standard cubic feet of gas per day (bscf/d), 16
compressor stations and 18 metering stations. The facilities represent a
current asset base of more than N21 billion,” NGC explained on its
website.
Some of the major gas suppliers, Shell and Chevron when contacted
could not respond appropriately. A spokesman for Shell, Mr. Tony
Okonedo, when asked specifically about the situation in Afam VI,
operated by Shell, he merely said, “Nothing was amiss.”
General Manager, Government Policy and Public Affairs, Chevron, Mr. Deji
Haastrup, also did not respond to Vanguard enquiries after five days of
sending detailed enquiries on his request.
Poor electricity supply situation has turned almost every Nigerian
into a self styled generator with about N17.9 billion spent annually on
imported generators to make up for electricity shortfall from the power
suppliers.
Electricity targets
Ironically, under the Power Sector Roadmap, launched by President
Goodluck Jonathan in August 2010, Nigeria’s generation capacity should
have peaked at 40,000MW by Year 2020, and above 7,000MW by April of
2011.
More than two years into the implementation of the roadmap, none of
the set targets, in terms of generation, transmission, distribution, has
been met, including the reform timeline that should have ended in the
privatisation of the electricity sector.
On generation, government planned to increase capacity by about 52
per cent from 4,612MW currently to 7,033MW by April 2011, and increase
capacity further to 14,218MW by December 2013. About a year on, the
country is nowhere near generating half of the set target.
Weak transmission and distribution networks
It is estimated that about 35 per cent of generation is lost to
technical faults on account of weak networks. As shown in the data
below, most of the lines are either weak or unavailable for a number of
reasons, and for some of them have remained in the current state for
years:
UNAVAILABLE BREAKERS/ISOLATORS
LAGOS REGION:
1) Papalanto/Otta 132kV line breaker – Not available – jumpered.
2) Akangba T.S. 132kV Bus Coupler CB – Serious Air leakage since 1994.
3)Akangba T/S 132kV Itire line 1 isolator: Faulty.
4)Egbin T/S : Unit ST4 tie CB 52-14:out on CB failure relay.
5) Egbin T/S: Unit ST6 tie CB 52-20: Out on CB failure relay.
6)Egbin T/S: Unit ST6 south bus CB 50-21: Out on CB failure relay.
BENIN REGION
1) Benin 330kV bus coupler 1 breaker – CB not available due to CTs explosion.
2)Sapele/Benin 330kV line 2 (cct S4B) bus 2 isolator Q21at Sapele end: Faulty.
3)Aladja T/S G1W/S4W CB at Aladja – locked out in open position and bypassed.
P-H REGION
1)132kV Owerri/Alaoji lines I & II tie breaker – faulty and bypassed – Oct. 2009
2)132kV Owerri Ahoada line I breaker – faulty and bypassed – Jan. 2009
UNAVAILABLE TRANSFORMERS
BAUCHI REGION
Biu TS: 30/40MVA 132/33kV T2: Out on REF. A replacement is on plinth awaiting funds for installation.
BENIN REGION
Ajaokuta T/S 224T3 162MVA 330/132/33kV transformer – awaiting 1No. Secondary lightning arrester.
Effurun T/S 30MVA 132/33KV T2A: Out on differential, REF & SBEF.
OSOGBO REGION
Ayede T/S 150MVA 330/132/33kV transformer T1B – Replacement on plinth and installation in progress.
LAGOS REGION:
Apapa Road T/S 45MVA 132/33kV TR1 – Out on differential.
UNAVAILABLE SYNCHROSCOPES:
Benin, Kaduna, Osogbo, Onitsha, Ikeja West, Alaoji, Ayede, Akangba & Aja.
Lagos region
Ikeja West/Omotosho line (M5W) and Egbin line 3 (M6W) – 21 spans.
Ikeja West/Olorunsogo line (cct. R1W) – 80 spans.
330kV Ikeja West/Osogbo line. – 95 spans.
Ikeja West/Alimosho/Ogba 132kV lines 1 & 2 – 15 spans.
Ikeja West/Akangba 330kV line 2. – 1 span.
Ikeja West 132kV Ilupeju lines 1 & 2. – 8 spans.
Akangba/Itire 132kV lines 1 & 2. – 1 span.
Ikeja West/Agbara 132kV lines 1 & 2. – 61 spans.
Ikeja West/Otta 132kV lines 1 & 2. – 17 spans.
Ogba/Otta 132kV line. – 17 spans.
UNAVAILABLE TRANSMISSION LINES:
P-H REGION
Afam/Alaoji 132kV line 1:Vandalized.
Omoku -P/Harcourt main 132kV line, collapsed tower
Lagos region:
132kV Akangba/Itire line 1- Faulty line isolator at Akangba T/S.
132kV Ikeja west – Ilupeju lines 1 & 2 – Out on fault.
Agbara/Ojo 132kV line 1 & 2 – Out on fault.
UNAVAILABLE/DEFECTIVE GROUND SWITCHES
Osogbo Region
Akure 132kV T/S: Akure/Osogbo 132kV line ground switch not in service since 03/12/2008 – Bad Yellow Phase female contact.
Omotosho 330kV T/S: 4th series ground switch 3342-1 not in service since 25/10/2011 – The Red Phase is misaligned.
Benin Region
Irrua T/S: Irrua/Benin 132kV line Earth Switch: faulty
330kV ccts G3B/S5B - 19 spans vandalized between Sapele and Benin end.
P/H Region
Afam/Alaoji 132kV line 1 – vandalized (40 spans).
Shiroro Region
Jebba T/S: 330kV Osogbo lines 1 & 2 and Ganmo line – vandalized 9 spans.
Minna T/S: 132kV Bida line - 32 spans vandalized.
Apo T/S:132kV Keffi line – 36 spans vandlized.
Apo T/S: 132kV Suleja line – 38 spans vandlized.
330kV Shiroro T/S: 330kV Jebba line 2:- 28 spans vandalized.
Apparently, while government was busy setting out ambitious
generation targets, it did not plan for the closure of identified gaps
and a reduction in distribution losses over the target period.
Although it recently announced approval for the construction of a new
700kv super grid estimated at $3.5 billion to augment the existing
330kv and 132kv transmission lines, it failed to say how the project
would be financed.
The project which is expected to be completed within four years, will
be owned by the Federal Government, since transmission is left in
government hands, no provisions have been made for it in the budget and
makes one wonder how government intends to achieve its power for all
project by 2020.
No reprieve yet
Even the industry regulator, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory
Commission, NERC, could not offer any explanations or reprieve, as its
Chair, Dr. Sam Amadi, could not respond to Vanguard enquiries even after
five days.
The industry regulator is currently fine-tuning how to implement yet
another tariff increase on account of new exchange rate in the new year,
while consumers continued to groan under current crazy billing system.
Chief Executive, Eko Distribution Company of the PHCN, Mr. A. Amoda,
in a telephone conversation maintained that government’s efforts were
deliberately being sabotaged by industry contractors and those
benefitting from the rot in the system from within.
As a result, he said: “The time lines given by the President for
various power projects are no longer feasible because some people are
trying to sabotage the effort.”
He said the pre-paid meter was no longer available because “it was
expected to be given to consumers for free and some people will no
longer be getting the extra money for estimated billing, if the meters
are installed.”
It is apparent that a lot still needed to be done, if government is
to achieve set targets. But first, it must deal with the issue of
internal corruption for successful implementation of programmes.
Current status of some of the plants ( *Source: Nigeria System Operator, NSO.)
EGBIN ST:
ST06 – Out on high turbine rotor vibration.
ST1- Out for furnace inspection
ST3 – Out due to cold sheared hanger bearing problem.
GEREGU PS: Nil
GT11 – Out on maintenance
AFAM 1V & V
GT2 – Out on generator differential.
GT3 – Out on high vibration.
GT4 – Tripped on generator differential.
GT5 – Out due to burnt generator breaker.
GT6 - Major Inspection/Repairs in progress.
GT17 – Out on D.C failure.
DELTA P/S
GT2 – Overdue for major overhaul.
GT3 & 5 – Generator winding faulty.
GT6 – Out on high vibration.
GT7 – Shut down on emergency due to oil leakage at generator collector end.
GT10 – Out due to high vibration.
GT11 – Out due to unit transformer that is undergoing maintenance.
GT13 – High vibration awaiting check and repair.
GT14 – Out on maintenance.
GT15 – Turbine blade failure.
GT16 – Out on generator differential lock out.
GT17 – Out due to fire outbreak on the accessory compartment.
GT18 – Out due to bearing No. 4 & 5 problem.
OLORUNSOGO NIPP:
GT1 – Out for combustion check.
SAPELE GT
GT4 – Defective generator transformer since (06/04/90), awaiting rehabilitation.
OKPAI P/S:
GT11 – Out on type ‘A’ inspection.
JEBBA G/S
2G6 – Burnt generator winding and AVR. Awaiting rehabilitation.
SHIRORO P/S
411G2-Out on excitation problem.
AES BARGE:
207 – Tripped on inlet guide vane problem
208 – Tripped on loss of flame
209 – Shut down on maintenance.
OMOTOSHO:-
GT2 & 4 – Out on generator differential.
GT3 & 5 – Out on suspected excitation.
GT6 – Out on vibration problem.
GT8 – Tripped on protective signal trip.
TRANS-AMADI
GT1 & 3 – Out on fault.
IBOM POWER
GT1 – Out on inlet guide vane.
OLORUNSOGO GAS:
GT1 – undergoing routine check.
GT2 – Out due to combustion problem.
Vanguard
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