Obsolete equipment hindering power distribution, FG declares
Power distribution is now difficult because equipment acquired by the distribution companies upon privatisation have become obsolete.
Addressing State House reporters after the Federal Executive Council meeting, the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, said the equipment must be upgraded for the Discos to be able to absorb and distribute the existing megawatts of electricity.
The minister was fielding questions on why distribution companies recently rejected over 9,000 megawatts of electricity within one week as reported.
He said: “On the rejection of 9,000 megawatt of power, I have not read the report. As at the beginning of the 10th August this year, the amount of power that was available to be delivered to the grid was 6,800 plus megawatts. So, what that means is that from 2,690 in 2015 when this government was inaugurated, we have demonstrated that we can grow.
“We have overcome the gas challenges and the vandals and pipeline repairs have progressed and that has impacted success on the generation side. Our power is going to come from different sources, hydro, gas, solar and that is why we are investing in Mambilla for more hydro so that when one source is vulnerable we can rely on another’s source.
“But in addition to power increase in terms of production, the transmission capacity has also increase, it has moved from the proverbial 5,000 to 6,700 megawatt that we can will. But the problem now is at the distribution end. For the kind of sustainable power we all want to see, it means every part of the value chain must work. And that is why I will continue to say that as we demonstrate our ability on generation and transmission we will demonstrate the same on our distribution.
“So what we are now putting on the grid because the Discos can’t take the power is roughly about 2,000 megawatt so there is 4,000 plus averagely that is not being taken. So if you calculate for three days or five days, that your submission on 9,000 is probably not correct.”
Asked if the improved power supply was due to he raining season or improvement on the part of distribution companies, he said: “What is interesting is that for the first time in a long time, our gas fired plants and our hydro power plants driven by water have converged together, and when you factor that to the improvement that the GenCos investors have made into their plants and are still making, it explains the improved power supply that you have.”
