Power Sector And Other Related News Stories For Wednesday December 14th 2022
Why Core Investors, Management of Discos Were Sacked, by FG
Federal Government has explained that it sacked core investors and management of six of the 11 electricity distribution companies (DisCos) because they failed the nation.
Minister of Power, Abubakar Aliu, who disclosed this in Abuja, yesterday, while making presentations at the 11th edition of the President Muhammadu Buhari Scorecard, said government took the decision because their performance was abysmal.
He named the six DisCos as: Abuja, Benin, Ibadan, Kaduna, Port Harcourt and Kano, adding that other three, Ikeja, Eko and Enugu, are doing very well.
He also noted that Jos and Yola DisCos, which were concessioned in 2022 and 2021, respectively, are trying to find their feet and, therefore, need time to settle down.
Aliu also disclosed that banks, which are now holding 60 per cent equity in the DisCos, are not going to hold it permanently because they are not in the business of providing electricity.
“We have given them between six months and one year to find new buyers who are serious to take over the 60 per cent,” he said.
According to the minister, who reeled out what he called numerous achievements of the current government in the power sector, “this administration would be leaving behind a healthier power sector than we met. With the new investments that we have made and are still making, by the time we leave next year, we would have added additional 4000 megawatts of electricity to the 17,000 we currently have, bringing the total to 21,000 megawatts.”
https://guardian.ng/news/why-core-investors-management-of-discos-were-sacked-by-fg/
Nigeria Pledges to Meet 30 Gigawatts Energy Target by 2030
Nigeria on Tuesday pledged its determination to achieve the vision of 30 Gigawatts of energy by the year 2030.
President Muhammadu Buhari made the pledge at a discussion panel on Just Energy Transition at the ongoing U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit in Washington, USA.
He used the opportunity to outline the comprehensive Energy Transition Plan unfolded by his administration in response to the issues associated with climate change.
According to him, as part of the National Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Policy, Nigeria set the vision 30:30:30 which aims at achieving 30GW of electricity by 2030 with renewable energy contributing 30 per cent of the energy mix.
“In 2021, Nigeria became the first African country to develop a detailed Energy Transition Plan to tackle both energy poverty and climate change, and deliver Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 7 by 2030 and net-zero by 2060.
“Our Federal Executive Council approved the plan earlier this year and adopted it as a national policy.”
Buhari told the summit that Nigeria was intending to eliminate the use of petrol/diesel generators by 2060 and therefore needed to deploy renewables, particularly solar, at an unprecedented scale.
https://www.vanguardngr.com/2022/12/nigeria-pledges-to-meet-30-gigawatts-energy-target-by-2030/
Buhari to Bequeath 22,000 Megawatts Generating Capacity of Electricity by 2023-Minister
The Minister of Power, Abubakar Aliyu says that the President Muhammadu Buhari led administration will bequeath about 22,000 megawatts installed capacity of electricity by 2023.
He said this at the Presidential Score Card of the Ministry of Power in Abuja.
The programme is an annual event where the various ministries present their achievements to the media and the general public.
Aliyu said the adminstration had embarked on several transformational projects to bequeath an additional 4,000 megawatts generating capacity to existing megawatts.
He said as part of the plans to achieve the 4,000 additional megawatts, the 700 megawatts Zungeru Hydro Power Plant would be completed in the first quarter of 2023.
Aliyu said the administration would work toward operationalisation of the 240 megawatts Afam III and 300 megawatts Okpai Phase II among others.
“We will set the country on a stable path for 10,000 megawatts of supplied energy.
“Today we are at 8,000 megawatts with 5,000 megawatts on-grid and above 3,000 mega watts of industrial captive off-grid and we will leave an installed capacity of almost 22,000 megawatts,” he said.
Buhari’s Administration to Bequeath Additional 4000mw by May 29 — FG
Engr. Abubakar Aliyu, Minister of Power, said that the President Muhammadu Buhari administration will on May 29, 2023, bequeath additional 4000 megawatts (MW) generating capacity to the incoming administration, effectively positioning the country for industrialisation.
Addressing journalists when he appeared at the 11th edition of the ongoing President Muhammadu Buhari administration’s scorecard series in Abuja, Aliyu also hinted that massive investments and reform of the power sector have substantially raised the installed capacity to 22,000MW.
He said the 4000MW generating capacity is hinged on the expected completion and commissioning of the 700MW Zungeru Hydro Power Plant in the 1st quarter of 2023 as well as the operationalisation of the 240MW Afam III and 300MW Okpai Phase II electricity projects, among others.
He disclosed that the administration has boosted the transmission capacity of Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) by more than 6000MW.
According to the minister, “We will set the country on a stable path for 10,000MW of supplied energy. Today we are at 8,000MW with 5,000MW on-grid and 3,000MW+ of industrial captive off-grid. And we will leave an installed capacity of almost 22,000MW.
https://independent.ng/buharis-administration-to-bequeath-additional-4000mw-by-may-29-fg/
Makurdi 1,650Mw Hydropower to Address Flooding, Electricity Challenges FG
The Minister of Power Engr. Abubakar Aliyu has said that the proposed 1,650mw Makurdi Hydro Power Plant (MHPP) would address flooding and electricity shortfall challenges when completed.
He spoke at the inauguration of the Project Steering Committee (PSC) for the concession of the Power Plant in Abuja on Monday, according to the statement by the Bureau of Public Enterprises, Abuja, yesterday.
The Minister assured that the Federal Government was committed to addressing the power challenge in the country, adding that the present administration had embarked on various projects to address the energy crisis in the country.
Also speaking, Minister of Water Resources, Engr. Suleiman Hussein Adamu, urged all the players in the power sector to work in synergy to achieve stable power supply in the country.
Earlier, Director General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Mr. Alex A. Okoh observed the severe shortages the country has suffered in electricity supply in the last three decades, noting that with an estimated population of over 200 million people, peak power production in 2022 hovered around 3,000 – 4,500 MW.
He said “these shortages have had an extremely negative impact on the economy’s ability to grow and the people’s quality of life, hence the obvious need for serious interventions to remedy the situation”.
Incessant Power Outage Forces My Factory to Close, Says Anambra Industrialist
An industrialist in Ukpor, Nnewi South Local Government Area of Anambra State, Mr Pius Onyeagusi has lamented what he described as incessant power outage within industrial and residential areas in the Council Area.
Mr Onyeagusi who is the Chief Executive Officer of Excel Table Water Company said in an interview that the situation had led to mass exodus of indigenes, residents and industrialists from the affected areas.
He regretted that the power outage had destroyed all he laboured to set up in the town.
“I decided to set up the table water business in Ukpor my home town to provide employment opportunities for the teeming youths in my area but this aim has become defeated due to the challenges of constant shortage of power supply.
“As I am talking to you, I have to close up the factory because of this challenge of power outage. Although it is not my wish to do so because it gives me joy to see many families and youths benefitting from my ventures.
“Running industrial machines on diesel is counterproductive to say the least, this is coupled with very high cost of raw materials and other factors of production. There has not been power supply to Ukpor for a stretch of six months now. Every day I spend more than N25,000 to buy diesel and at the end I don’t make a profit of N5000 in a day.
Delhi Households Receive Subsidised Electricity Bills in November
Around 39 lakh households across the national capital have received subsidised electricity bills in November, said government data.
The AAP government from October made it mandatory for consumers to apply for subsidised power bills after it phased out its signature “free electricity” scheme launched in 2019 amid the ongoing debate over ‘freebie’ politics.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on September 14 launched a WhatsApp number under its new Voluntary Subsidy Scheme and announced that the people will have to apply and give consent for getting electricity at subsidised rate.
According to the government data, about 40.3 lakh people have applied for the subsidy till December 13, while 55 lakh people availed of the facility in November 2021.
The data also shows that around 15 lakh households in the national capital have opted out of the AAP government’s electricity subsidy scheme after the changes were implemented.
Officials, however, said that, “On an average only 47 lakh people availed of the subsidy in a year. As it was an automatic subsidy earlier, the numbers increased during winters as the electricity usage would drop as people do not use AC and fan etc. So, over all, a good number of consumers have applied and are receiving the subsidy.”
