Nigerian power generation hits new high of 4,477.7 MW

20 August 2012 – Nigeria’s minister of power, Prof. Bart Nnaji, says that a new high in power generation of 4,477.7 MW has been recorded including 170 MW which is serving as a spinning reserve. The new peak exceeds the record level of 4,237MW achieved early this month by 240.7 MW.

“The good news is that all the power generated is being wheeled comfortably,” he says. “In August 2010, when 3,800 MW was generated for the first time, the system collapsed within few minutes because the transmission infrastructure was poorly maintained.”

The new output increase came from the 600MW Shiroro hydroelectric power stationin Niger State, and also due to the fact that the Nigerian Gas Company, a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC), has been increasing gas supply to power stations in accordance with the directive of president Goodluck Jonathan and the petroleum resources minister Diezani Allison-Madueke.

Nnaji says that the amount of power available to Nigerians is expected to increase further before the end of the month and that one 112.5MW unit at the Omotosho plant of the National Integrated Power Project (NIPP) in Ondo State would start to run this month.