Power Sector News and Other Related News Stories For Thursday September 22nd 2022
Despite 12.3% Decline in Power Supply, Discos Raked in N393bn Revenue in Six Months
In spite of decreased electricity supply to Nigerian homes in the first six months of 2022, power Distribution Companies (Discos) raked in a whopping N393.15 billion between January and June this year.
Latest data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) indicated that power supply fell from 5,956 (Gwh) to 5,227 (Gwh) between the first quarter and second quarter of 2022. This showed a decline of 12.23 per cent on a quarter-on-quarter basis, the information released by the country’s main data repository noted in a document, titled, “Electricity Report Q1-Q2 2022.”
The report stated, “Electricity supply in Q1 2022 stood at 5,956 (Gwh) and 5,227 (Gwh) in Q2 2022, showing a decline of 12.23 per cent on a quarter-on-quarter basis.
“Nevertheless, on a year-on-year basis, electricity supply declined compared to 6,172.19 (Gwh) and 5,882.57 (Gwh) reported in Q1 2021 and Q2 2021 respectively.”
Nigeria has for over 40 years grappled with severe shortage of supply of reliable power supply, despite past and the present administrations’ expending trillions of naira to resolve the problem.
https://allafrica.com/stories/202209220050.html
11 Electricity Distribution Companies Owe Nigerian Government N1.4 Trillion –Consumers’ Protection Network
The Nigerian Electricity Consumers’ Protection Network has revealed that the 11 distribution companies that invested in the power sector in 2013 still have an outstanding N1.4 trillion to pay to the federal government as proceeds of privatisation, about 10 years after the exercise.
President of the group, Kunle Kola Olubiyi explained that the amount electricity consumers owed the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN as at the time of privatisation was N1.8 trillion. He said the electricity distribution companies paid only N400 billion to the government as proceeds of the privatisation.
He said, “I was a member of the Presidential Ad hoc Committee on the review of the electricity tariff in August 2020; I was a member of the National Investigative Panel on Power System collapse and stability.
“Money that electricity consumers owed PHCN at the time of privatisation was N1.8 trillion, remove the N400 billion from the amount; it means that there is still outstanding N1.4 trillion that DisCos need to pay to the federal government.
Despite 12.3% Decline in Power Supply, Discos Raked in N393bn Revenue in Six Months
In spite of decreased electricity supply to Nigerian homes in the first six months of 2022, power Distribution Companies (Discos) raked in a whopping N393.15 billion between January and June this year.
Latest data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) indicated that power supply fell from 5,956 (Gwh) to 5,227 (Gwh) between the first quarter and second quarter of 2022. This showed a decline of 12.23 per cent on a quarter-on-quarter basis, the information released by the country’s main data repository noted in a document, titled, “Electricity Report Q1-Q2 2022.”
The report stated, “Electricity supply in Q1 2022 stood at 5,956 (Gwh) and 5,227 (Gwh) in Q2 2022, showing a decline of 12.23 per cent on a quarter-on-quarter basis.
“Nevertheless, on a year-on-year basis, electricity supply declined compared to 6,172.19 (Gwh) and 5,882.57 (Gwh) reported in Q1 2021 and Q2 2021 respectively.”
Nigeria has for over 40 years grappled with severe shortage of supply of reliable power supply, despite past and the present administrations’ expending trillions of naira to resolve the problem.
PHED Set to Detect Meter Bypass with Hitech
Meter bypass may become a thing of the past in the four states under the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution company (PHED): Rivers, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, and Cross River.
This is as the new CEO, Benson Uwheru (PhD), has moved the revenue of the Disco from N4.3bn to N5.2bn in just his first month.
He revealed that technology is being deployed to tackle meter bypass through pinpoint technology that would pin the energy thief to his location. He said tech is the future of power industry. “So, we intend to deploy technology to fight vandalism and energy theft and meter by-pass.”
The new CEO told newsmen last Friday that he is combining all the measures including negotiation to achieve higher revenue.
Uwheru also called for liberation of the energy sector from subsidy so the sector could run freely and attract investors.
Speaking at the media interactive session, Uwheru who resumed on July 22, 2022, said the PHED is being repositioned by the FG with some of the unit heads coming from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
https://businessday.ng/news/article/phed-set-to-detect-meter-bypass-with-hitech/
Nigeria-Siemens Power Project – Govt to Begin Inauguration of New Equipment in Two Weeks
The federal government, yesterday, said all was set for the commencement of inauguration of the first set of power equipment procured under the Presidential Power Initiative (IPP), popularly known as Nigeria-Siemens power project. It hinted that the inauguration would begin in the next two or three weeks.
Chief Executive Officer, Federal Government of Nigeria Power Company (FGNPC), Mr. Kenny Anuwe, made the disclosures in Lagos, while speaking to journalists at the on-going Nigeria Energy Exhibition and Conference. Anuwe said the company would ramp up electricity supply to 7000 megawatts (mw) by 2024 as promised Nigerians.
He said the first inauguration ceremonies would begin at a location in Lagos, while the second set of equipment would be unveiled in Abuja.
Anuwe said the latest milestone showed the determined effort of the government to improve the supply of electricity to Nigerians.
“We will be seeing commissioning of these projects in the next two to three weeks, and every month after that until the end of the programme,” Anuwe said.
He stated that the equipment, which included transformers and mobile substations, were procured under the IPP in partnership with Siemens Energy, the implementing partner.
https://allafrica.com/stories/202209220053.html
Licensed Electrical Contractors Decry High Rate of Quackery
The Licensed Electrical Contractors Association of Nigeria (LECAN) has appealed to the Federal Government to ensure that all electrical contractors register with the association to check high rate of quackery.
The Executive Chairman of LECAN, FCT Chapter, Mr Goddy Mba, made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Wednesday.
Mba said that the issue of quackery had been a very big problem in the electricity industry but members of the association were doing their best to checkmate it.
He said that the only way government could reduce quackery in the electricity sector was to ensure that every electrical contractor certified by Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA) be made to register with LECAN.
Mba said that NEMSA was saddled with the responsibility of licensing contractors so that they could practice by giving competency certificate.
According to him, the reason for the contractors registering with the association is to ensure that they are being monitored to avoid the use of sub-standard materials.
https://independent.ng/licensed-electrical-contractors-decry-high-rate-of-quackery/
FG to Operate Trains on Electricity, Gas
The Federal Government is currently discussing with investors on how to power Nigeria’s trains with electricity or gas, following the astronomical hike in the cost of diesel, it was gathered on Tuesday.
Partners in the discussion are giving greater consideration to the use of electricity by establishing an Independent Power Project that will operate at a frequency and voltage different from the regulator domestic supply by power distribution companies.
Diesel price increased from about N250/litre in January this year to about N800/litre currently. Sunday PUNCH exclusively reported that the amount spent daily on fueling the trains that operate on the Lagos-Ibadan Train Service, for instance, was 135.3 per cent higher than the earnings of the Nigeria Railway Corporation from tickets sale.
To address this, the Managing Director, NRC, Fidet Okhiria, told our correspondent that the Federal Government, through the corporation, had commenced discussions with potential investors on how to run trains across the country on electricity or gas.
https://punchng.com/fg-to-operate-trains-on-electricity-gas/
Nigeria Leads Sub-Saharan Africa in Mini-Grid Deployment
The Minister of Power, Engr. Abubakar Aliyu announced that Nigeria presently has the highest solar rural Mini-grid deployment rate in Sub-Saharan Africa, per the federal government’s plan to optimize energy generation through stakeholders’ collaboration and achieve zero carbon emission by 2060.
He disclosed this at the Nigeria Energy Conference themed: “Affordable, Reliable and Sustainable Energy through Collaboration,” held in Lagos yesterday.
The Minister, who Mr Temitope Fashedemi represented, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Power, emphasized that investments in contemporary energy technologies are necessary to meet the nation’s massive energy needs. He said, “The Sustainable Energy for all Action Agenda electricity vision 30:30:30 is targeted at achieving 30 gigawatts electricity by the year 2030 from multiple energy sources with at least 30 per cent contribution from renewable energy sources”.
He also mentioned that the project’s development through a private-public partnership is a result of the government in the private sector.
https://theelectricityhub.com/nigeria-leads-sub-saharan-africa-in-mini-grid-deployment/
South Africa in Electricity Crisis, Nationwide Blackouts
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa had an urgent meeting scheduled with his Cabinet on Wednesday to discuss the country’s electricity crisis, which has led to unprecedented levels of nationwide power blackouts in Africa’s most developed economy.
The troubled state-owned power utility Eskom, which produces about 95% of the country’s electricity, is implementing scheduled, rolling blackouts in an attempt to save electricity while struggling to keep its ageing and poorly maintained coal-fired power stations operational.
Ramaphosa returned home to chair the meeting with his ministers after attending the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II in London. He canceled his trip to New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly.
Eskom had started implementing Stage 6 power cuts, a level that means businesses and homes go without electricity for more than 10 hours a day. The company has since reduced the level to Stage 5, which requires South Africans to go without power for up to eight hours a day.
Britain Caps Electricity and Gas Prices for Businesses
Britain on Wednesday said it would cap the cost of electricity and gas for businesses from October following a similar scheme for consumers, helping relieve the pressure of soaring energy costs.
It said wholesale prices for electricity would be capped at 211 pounds (239.17 dollars) per megawatt-hour (MWh) and for gas at 75 pounds per MWh.
“We have stepped in to stop businesses collapsing, protect jobs, and limit inflation.
“The government will compensate suppliers for the reduction in wholesale gas and electricity unit prices that they are passing onto non-domestic customers,” finance minister, Kwasi Kwarteng, said.
The scheme will initially apply from Oct. 1 to March 31 2023, for all non-domestic energy users, including charities and the public sector such as schools and hospitals as well as businesses.
“The level of the cap has been set at less than half the wholesale prices anticipated this winter,” it said.
https://www.vanguardngr.com/2022/09/britain-caps-electricity-and-gas-prices-for-businesses/
