POWER GENERATION HITS RECORD ENERGY PEAK

[FMPNigeria]

Abuja, Nigeria - Nigeria has attained a new power generation and management milestone by reaching a new energy peak of 97,749.11 megawatt hour per hour on December 4, 2012. The previous energy peak was 96,768.53 megawatt hour per hour recorded on August 31, 2012.

This is a significant achievement in the nation's history of power generation. It means that a record level of energy was available to Nigerians yesterday. By energy, it means that over the 24 hour period the most power was available for consumption. This is a sharp contrast to the historic epileptic nature of power availability. This means that the system is being better managed.

It is important to note that the real metric for improved service delivery and performance in the power sector is by energy. In other words, measuring how much distance a car covers in the day as opposed to its top speed. For the first time in our history, Nigeria travelled the most distance in power (energy) in 24 hours.

The disclosure of the new energy peak was contained in the Executive Operations Summary issued by the General Manager, National Control Centre (NCC), Osogbo, Engr. A. A. Alade, on December 4, 2012.

Explaining this development, the Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Power (PTFP), Engr. Beks Dagogo-Jack, said: "Essentially in the power business what you sell is energy, and that is what everybody uses in their homes. However, in order to be able to deliver that energy you need to produce power over a period of time, and that is essentially the rate of energy.

"The peak of power availability can be an instantaneous occurrence; you can stay there for a second and go off it; whereas energy is constantly delivered to homes. And so it's a thing of joy that for the first time Nigeria has hit a new energy peak of 97,749.11 megawatt hours per hour which translates into over 4000 megawatt hours per hour."

The PTFP Chairman further clarified that "energy is the amount of power delivered per hour," adding that the good news in the development for the Nigerian electricity consumer is that it shows the sustainability in the power being delivered.

He further explained "It is the durability of power or the sustainability of power that was expressed yesterday. People had power for longer hours than they ever did as a whole as a nation."

Dagogo-Jack further addressed the new energy peak in relation to the recent partial shutdown of the Escravos gas plant belonging to Chevron Nigeria Limited to enable Chevron to tie in wells and lay pipes for sustainable gas supply to the domestic market and the gas-to-liquid plant.

"With Chevron being out, we still attained this peak energy record. So with improved system management, once Chevron back on, there is a potential that we could hit higher levels still," he said. "Subject to the transmission and distribution issues that may arise, there is no reason why we should not go higher than the level that we are today."

 

The PTFP Chairman also noted that these are the tangible signs of progress and effectiveness of the power reform agenda. "I see this milestone as a product of the cooperation and concerted efforts of the power grid operators. The Task Force will continue to monitor and facilitate their progress and activities." he said.

 

Via: Federal Ministry of Power - Official Press Release