Power Sector And Other Related News Stories For Wednesday August 9th 2023
Prepaid Meters’ Installation Rises 3.9% to 171,107
Despite the federal government promises, the sluggish growth in the number of prepaid meters installation persisted in first quarter 2023, Q1’23, with number of meters installed rising by quarter-on-quarter, QoQ by 3.95 per cent to 171,107 from 164,612 meters installed in the fourth quarter of 2022.
This means that the 11 Electricity Distribution Companies, DisCos, are struggling to meet demand for prepaid meters by households and businesses.
It also means that the DisCos are still subjecting consumers to the abusive and exploitative estimated bills practice for payment of electricity consumed.
However, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, which disclosed this in its first quarter report, did not provide the month-on-month, MoM, and year-on-year, YoY details.
https://www.vanguardngr.com/2023/08/electricity-prepaid-meters-installation-rises-3-9-to-171107/
Stakeholders Seek Support for Renewable Energy Sector
Stakeholders in the energy industry have called for support for the renewable energy sector to enable it to contribute to the country’s quest to end energy poverty.
Speaking at a workshop organised by the Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency Association (Alliance) in Abuja, they observed that if fully backed, the sector would play a greater role in improving energy supply in the country.
Speaking at the workshop, the CEO Association of Power Generation Companies, APGC, Dr. Joy Ogaji said with the solar resources available in the country, Nigeria can generate as much as 427 Gigawatts of electricity from solar.
https://www.vanguardngr.com/2023/08/stakeholders-seek-support-for-renewable-energy-sector-2/
Nigeria’s Biggest City Seeks $10bln Power Funding By 2032
Nigeria’s biggest city and commercial hub of Lagos plans to raise as much as $10 billion in private investment to boost electricity supply to nearly five million households by 2032, state governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu said.
Lagos, home to about 25 million people, receives about 25% of 5,000 megawatts of national grid-connected electricity, prompting the city to depend on fragmented off-grid power sources, according to the state’s ministry of energy and mineral resources.
“We’ve done an extensive power roadmap in energy for Lagos and we have an idea of what our requirements will be for the next 10 years,” Sanwo-Olu said in an interview.
Only Five States Can Build Over 100 km of Electricity Transmission Lines
Only five states in Nigeria can build over 100 km of transmission lines. This is according to a recent report by the Energy Market and Rates Consultants (EMRC), published on July 27, 2023.
According to the report, $1.58 billion (N750 to a dollar), which was 63% of the entire internally generated revenue (IGR) by states in 2021, was generated by only five states;
- Lagos
- Rivers
- Ogun
- Delta
- Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
The report stated further that while there is now a constitutional amendment allowing states to participate in the electricity sector, transmission is a very expensive aspect of the value chain and only the highlighted states can afford to build over 100 km of electricity transmission lines
GE Vernova Building New 1.35-GW Gas-Fired Plant in Nigeria
Construction has begun on major natural gas-fired power plant in Nigeria, part of a plan by the country’s government to help improve the supply of electricity amid frequent power shortages.
The 1,350-MW Gwagwalada Independent Power Plant, which will burn domestically sourced gas, is expected to provide about 11% of the country’s electricity once the facility is fully operational. The plant near the Nigerian capital of Abuja will be built in three phases, with GE Vernova among three groups leading the facility’s engineering and construction.
https://www.powermag.com/ge-vernova-building-new-1-35-gw-gas-fired-plant-in-nigeria/
Fed Govt Probes Status of Transformers, Substations for Power Project
The Nigerian Electricity Management Service Agency (NEMSA) has begun reviewing the 10 mobile transformers and substations that Siemens Nig. Limited imported last December for the Presidential Power Initiative (PPI) project.
The equipment is for the implementation of phase 1 of the PPI which should have added 2,000MW to the national grid since 2021.
However, the contractor could not meet the deadline following production and transportation disruptions caused by the COVID-19
https://thenationonlineng.net/fed-govt-probes-status-of-transformers-substations-for-power-project/
