Power generation has hit the 4,000MW mark – FG

The Federal Ministry of Power has revealed that power generation in the country has gone beyond 4,000MW after hovering between 3,000MW and 3,800MW since January this year.

Power generation for the past six months has been poor due to frequent vandalism of oil pipelines and destruction of vital infrastructure supplying gas to electricity generation plants.

Figures obtained from the Federal Ministry of Power show that the country’s peak generation was 4,011.4MW, while energy generation was put at 3,540.42MW and the energy sent out was 3,465.36MW.

Some senior officials of the Ministry of Power told Punchng on Sunday that the country recorded less cases of pipeline vandalism in March, hence the increase in power generation.

“The elections diverted the attention of most Nigerians, including pipeline vandals, and that is why there has been some form of improvement in power supply and generation,” an official who pleaded anonymity because he was not authorized to speak on the matter, said.

Another official said, “During the period leading to the presidential and National Assembly elections, we recorded less rupturing of our gas installations and there was a near smooth supply of gas.

“In fact, we recorded close to 4,300MW of electricity sometime last week and this was because there was gas for the power generation plants.

“It is, therefore, obvious that vandalism is affecting power generation negatively and you can see that in just two weeks that we had near smooth supply of gas, electricity generation increased.

“This again is largely due to the elections because most Nigerians and even the vandals were involved in the process.”

The Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo, said last month that the country lost about 800MW of electricity as a result of the blasting of the Escravos-Lagos Gas Pipeline during the midnight of March 11, 2015.

According to the Minister, the damage was done by vandals, who ruptured the ELGP with an explosive device at Egwa, near Batan, Gbaramatu Kingdom, Delta State.

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