Power Sector News And Other Related Stories For Wednesday 13th July 2022
DisCos Restructuring: Group Seeks Protection of Electricity Consumers’ Rights
Association for Public Policy Analysis (APPA), a Civil Society Organisation (CSO), has urged the federal government to protect the rights of electricity consumers.
The national president of APPA, Princewill Okorie, spoke against the backdrop of the recent plan by Fidelity Bank to take over the boards of Kano, Benin and Kaduna Distribution Companies (DISCOs) and to collateralise their shares.
The director-general, Bureau of Public Enterprise (BPE), Alex Okoh, and the executive chairman, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Sanusi Garba, made the development known in a joint statement issued in Abuja recently.
They Went to Meet UBA’s Elumelu’ – How Investors I Brought from Zambia to AEDC Tried to Outsmart Me – Malami
The former Nigeria’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Shehu Malami, has narrated how the investors he brought into Nigeria from Zambia to invest in Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) tried to outsmart him by allegedly taking over the organisation.
The Sokoto-born prince, said as chairman of AEDC he invited the investors to discuss the privitisation aspect of the company only for them to allegedly went to meet Tony Elumelu of the United Bank for Africa (UBA).
In an interview, Malami said :”They are Zambians. We invited them, and when they came, instead of discussing the privatisation aspect of it with us, they went to Elumelu of the United Bank for Africa (UBA), and all they did was to just send me a note about the decision of the Board, stating that I had to accept it within 24 hours or the project was off.
As TCN Plans to Raise Abuja Transmission Network by 624mw
T he Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) under the leadership of Engr. Dr. Sule Ahmed Abdulaziz has declared its vision of improving electricity supply for the teeming Nigerian consumers.
A Nigeria with adequate power supply for industries to thrive, small businesses can grow, support modern agriculture and idealise the capital city Abuja. That is what TCN hopes to achieve in the capital city by enhancing the bulk power transmission capacity by 624 megawatts (MW) to address a 20-year energy demand index in Abuja.
The Abuja Feeding Scheme is a vision that is no longer on paper but has its footprints practically at five major sites within Abuja. The project which was flagged off in 2018 gained acceleration under the leadership of Engr. Abdulaziz, with key components to be ready this year.
Engr. Abdulaziz has brought his over 25 years of engineering experience and responsibility as a tested project manager to bear in project initiation and execution in the company, with a penchant for timely delivery of projects, said the leadership of the Nigerian Power Consumers Forum (NPCF).
https://leadership.ng/as-tcn-plans-to-raise-abuja-transmission-network-by-624mw/
FG Plans 3,863mw to Boost Power Grid – Report
An additional capacity of 3,863 megawatts of electricity is to be made available to boost power supply to customers across the country in the next 24 months, the Federal Government has said.
It also stated that it had identified solutions with the Transmission Company of Nigeria and electricity distribution companies on addressing key interface challenges confronting the different power firms.
The government disclosed this through its Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission in a June 2022 document on the current state of the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry obtained by our correspondent from the Federal Ministry of Power.
Nigeria’s peak power generation as of Monday, July 11, 2022, was 4,022.2MW, while off-peak generation on the same day was put at 3,521.3MW. Power generation on the national grid as at 6am on Tuesday, July 12, 2022, was 3,941.1MW.
https://punchng.com/fg-plans-3863mw-to-boost-power-grid-report/
Power Generation Drops, Discos, FG Battle for Control
The planned takeover of three power distribution companies by Fidelity Bank and the restructuring of two others by the Federal Government have led to an intense battle between the Discos and the government.
The takeover of the three Discos by Fidelity Bank is being backed by the Federal Government through the Bureau for Public Enterprise.
This came as findings show that Discos have continued to launch fresh legal battles with a view to preventing their takeover by the government and the bank.
However, industry stakeholders are divided over the development with both parties receiving commendations and condemnations from power sector experts.
https://punchng.com/power-generation-drops-discos-fg-battle-for-control/
Court Restrains Unlawful Takeover of BEDC
In an action commenced by Vigeo Power Limited, majority shareholder of Benin Electricity Distribution Company Plc (BEDC), the Federal High Court in Abuja has issued an order restraining Fidelity Bank Plc and other co-defendants from taking over BEDC, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice dated July 8, 2022.
The other defendants are the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Henry Ajagbawa, Charles Onwera, Yomi Adeyemi, K.C. Akuma and Yomi Adeyemi.
Those affected by the order include the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) and the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).
In the suit (FHC/ABJ/CS/1113/2022), Vigeo Power is praying the court for an order of interim injunction restraining Fidelity Bank Plc, whether directly or indirectly, through its directors, managers, officers, employees, servants, consultants, attorneys, agents, representatives, privies, however so-called, persons acting under its instructions and control, including the entities set out into this application from altering or further altering board composition of BEDC Electricity Plc (BEDC) or working in concert with any person or party to alter the board composition of BEDC.
https://guardian.ng/news/court-restrains-unlawful-takeover-of-bedc/
Electricity Update: Power Generation in Nigeria Rises Sharply to Highest in Over Two Months
Nigeria generated a total of 95,116.18MWh of energy on Tuesday, 12th July 2022, improving by 5% compared to 90,621.28MWh recorded in the previous day, representing the highest in over two months.
This is according to information from the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN). The last time Nigeria’s energy topped 95,000MWh was 4th May 2022, when electricity generation hit 96,278.96MWh.
In the same vein, power supply increased by 5% to 93,857.566MWh on Tuesday, from 89,393.08MWh sent out on Monday. This implies that 98.64% of the total power generated was sent out to Distribution Companies.
Stakeholders Laud Discos Takeover, Knock Regulators for Sector’s Woes
Nigerians are gradually inching towards the moment of anagnorisis as bank-backed reforms in the nation’s electricity distribution companies (DisCos) are revealing the true state and regulatory gaps among the Bureau of Public Enterprise (BPE), Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and handlers of the 11 utility companies.
At least, five firms – Abuja DisCo, Benin DisCo, Ibadan DisCo, Kaduna and Kano DisCos – have fallen into the hands of the banks they took credit from after they were unable to break even eight years since they were licensed.
Coming at a time of global energy crisis with diesel now hovering around N850 per litre, as government spend heavily to subside Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), most stakeholders, yesterday, were divided between singing the praises of BPE and NERC, and blaming them for allowing the sector to fail in the first place.
https://guardian.ng/news/stakeholders-laud-discos-takeover-knock-regulators-for-sectors-woes/
We ‘il Shut Power Sector If NLC Declares Action – Electricity Workers
Workers in the nation’s Power sector have threatened to shut electricity supply in the country should Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, declare a nationwide protest over the protracted industrial crises in the country’s educational sector.
Under the aegis of the National Union of Electricity Employees, NUEE, the workers argued that the care free attitude of the government whether in the states or national towards the continued closure of schools is a sorry state in the process of Nigeria’s development towards nationhood.
In a statement by its General Secretary, Joe Ajaero, NUEE said it “is deeply saddened and appalled by the impasse between the Federal Government of Nigeria and Unions in the Tertiary Academic Sector (Universities, Polytechnics, Colleges of Education and Research Institutes) which has avoidably lingered.
How New Policy Could Spur 5,000mw Grid, Cut System Collapses
As electricity consumers in Nigeria worry about a trend in power system collapses with four already this year, the government and power sector operators are swiftly pushing out a novel approach expected to peg a 5,000 megawatts (MW) grid in the short term to curb this menace.
Daily Trust spoke with power experts, officials at the Generation Company (GenCo), the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and obtained documents on how this policy could work and save an ailing power sector.
In the business of the electricity market, there are three stability stages on the national grid system. It could be stable, marginally stable and unstable, said Engr Dahiru Ahmad, a senior official in a power substation.
In recent times, the national grid system has plunged into an emergency state, always causing alerts due to the liquidity crisis affecting power generation. Engr Ahmad said within this emergency state, TCN, which is the grid manager, has an enormous job of managing the high and low frequencies.
https://dailytrust.com/how-new-policy-could-spur-5000mw-grid-cut-system-collapses
Energy Bills Breed Crisis in Anambra Community
Residents of the area lack good roads, pipe-borne water, decent shelter and other necessities of life despite producing various professionals and people doing well in their respective endeavours over the years.
Governor Chukwuma Soludo, prior to his inauguration, made a promise to start work on urban renewal from Okpoko. He made good his promise by visiting the area immediately after his swearing in and commenced the evacuation of heaps of refuse dotting the community.
As part of his urban renewal programme in the area, some houses reportedly built on waterways in the area have been marked for demolition.
The demolition notice brought apprehension among the residents as the would-be victims of the planned demolition wait with bated breath on government’s next move in this direction.
https://www.sunnewsonline.com/energy-bills-breed-crisis-in-anambra-community/
How Mojec is Championing Renewable Energy Through Carbon Reduction
The challenge of generating electricity in Nigeria has become hydra-headed in nature. Several administrations have made efforts to resolve the problem of electric power but their best has consistently come short, with the country’s power grid experiencing frequent collapses recently.
Though the most recent collapse was attributed to the collapse of Oben Gas plant, which led to failure to generate supply. Government sources have assured that concerted efforts are ongoing to resolve the situation and ensure it doesn’t repeat.
Those who know have projected that about 50,000MW would be required to adequately light up Nigeria. But, as of July 2016, the total installed capacity in Nigeria was 12,522MW while estimated population stood at 187 million. These depict a far cry from the projected power requirement expected to sustain the nation. Countries like Kenya, South Africa and Tanzania
with smaller populations have considerable greater installed capacity.
UCH Makes U-Turn, Denies Charging N1,000 Daily Electricity Bill
Despite clear evidence of management’s directive for the immediate implementation of the policy, the management of the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, has denied the addition of N1,000 daily electricity fee to the service charge of admitted patients in the hospital.
The hospital in a statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES Saturday claimed that the circular approving the addition of the fee was “an internal memo” that the university teaching hospital did not implement.
Signed by the public relations officer of the hospital, Toye Akinrinola, the hospital said the statement has since been withdrawn.
The latest statement further claimed that there was no time the hospital charged such a fee, adding that the hospital will continue to attend to patients irrespective of status.
How New Policy Could Spur 5,000mw Grid, Cut System Collapses
As electricity consumers in Nigeria worry about a trend in power system collapses with four already this year, the government and power sector operators are swiftly pushing out a novel approach expected to peg a 5,000 megawatts (MW) grid in the short term to curb this menace.
Daily Trust spoke with power experts, officials at the Generation Company (GenCo), the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and obtained documents on how this policy could work and save an ailing power sector.
In the business of the electricity market, there are three stability stages on the national grid system. It could be stable, marginally stable and unstable, said Engr Dahiru Ahmad, a senior official in a power substation.
In recent times, the national grid system has plunged into an emergency state, always causing alerts due to the liquidity crisis affecting power generation. Engr Ahmad said within this emergency state, TCN, which is the grid manager, has an enormous job of managing the high and low frequencies.
https://dailytrust.com/how-new-policy-could-spur-5000mw-grid-cut-system-collapses
