Energy
Two power plants shut, generation drops to 3,403MW
LAGOS-TWO of the nation’s power plants were shut down on Sunday, bringing the total number of idle plants to nine.
The affected plants were Olorunsogo II in Ogun State and Trans-Amadi in Rivers State, with their installed generation capacity put at 625 megawatts and 25MW, respectively.
The nation’s total electricity generation stood at 3,402.5MW as of 6am on Sunday, down from 3,940.5MW on Wednesday, according to industry data obtained by our correspondent.
The generation from the nation’s biggest power station, Egbin in Lagos, dropped to 451MW from 465MW on Wednesday.
Olorunsogo II, which was built under the National Integrated Power Project scheme, did not generate any megawatt of electricity because its units GT1, 2, 3 and 4 and ST2 were out due to gas constraints, and the ST1 out on maintenance. The plant produced 130.9MW on Wednesday.
Units GT1 and 2 of Trans-Amadi were said to be out on undisclosed reasons, while the GT4 was out due to gas constraints. It generated 15MW of electricity on Wednesday.
Other plants that did not produce electricity on Sunday were Alaoji II with an installed capacity of 250MW; Ihovbor II, 337.5MW; Afam VI, 650MW; Rivers, 160MW; Afam IV & V, AES and ASCO, whose capacities were put at zero.
The nation’s unutilised generation capacity rose to 4120.1MW on Sunday from 3,473.8MW on Wednesday, with gas constraints responsible for about 80 per cent of the stranded capacity at 3,269MW.
Other factors were line constraints and high frequency occasioned by rainfall/loss of distribution companies’ feeder.
Line constraints and high frequency led to the shut in of 371.7MW and 479.4MW, respectively on Sunday, up from 368.8MW and 85MW on Wednesday.
The nation achieved its peak generation of 5,074.70MW on February 2, 2016, according to the Transmission Company of Nigeria.
PUNCH-
Energy
EERC Prohibits Sale Of Meter By Service Providers In Enugu
The Enugu State Electricity Regulatory Commission (EERC) has prohibited the sale of meters and other connection materials to members of the public by service providers within its jurisdiction.
This was contained in a public service announcement on its socials where it cited relevant portions of “the Enugu State Electricity Law 2023 and other extant rules”.
The Management of the EERC reminded stakeholders that the laws stipulate thus, “2. The Service Provider shall be responsible for the provision of connection materials in accordance with its standards and also responsible for the connection from the available supply to the customer’s metering point.”
The announcement reads, “It has come to the attention of the Enugu State Electricity Regulatory Commission that some members of the public in Enugu State are being requested to pay for materials and other accessories needed for the connection of electricity and installation of meters in their premises by the meter installers and service providers.
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“Pursuant to section 35 of the Enugu State Electricity Law 2023 and other extant rules, this is to inform the public of the following provisions under regulations 10 and 11 of the Customer Service Standards and Protection Regulations 2024 of the Commission:
“Section 10:
“1. The materials required to effect connections including meters and accessories from the nearest voltage network for each connection design stipulated under these Regulations shall be the responsibility of the Service Provider.
“2. The size and quality of the connection materials required to effect connection are dependent on the connection design and the distance of the customer’s premises to the nearest available electricity supply point.
“Section 11:
“1. All connections shall be in compliance with the procedures stipulated in these Regulations.
“2. The Service Provider shall be responsible for the provision of connection materials in accordance with its standards and also responsible for the connection from the available supply to the customer’s metering point.
“Sequel to the provisions above, Customers of Mainpower Electricity Distribution Company Limited are hereby notified that they are not required to provide materials (e.g. wires, circuit breakers, ladders) or pay money for meter installation.
“Please do not hesitate to contact the Commission via email at info@eerc.en.gov.ng or call 09122642755 if any Mainpower’s meter installer(s) or agent(s) demand for money or materials to install meter(s) for the Commission’s information and necessary action.”
Energy
Nigeria’s Gas Output Increases By 2.9%, Reaching 2.29 MSCF
Amid a slight increase in gas production, Nigeria’s oil output experienced a substantial rise in November 2024.
Gas production saw a 2.9% month-on-month (MoM) increase, reaching 2,292,951 million standard cubic feet (MSCF) from 2,292,471 MSCF in October.
However, on a year-on-year (YoY) basis, the growth was minimal, with a mere 0.02% increase in output for the first 11 months of 2024, compared to the same period in 2023.
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The latest gas report from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) also revealed a 1.6% increase in domestic gas consumption.
A total of 606,658 MSCF was consumed locally, compared to 596,861 MSCF during the same period in 2023. Gas exports, meanwhile, rose by 6.9%, reaching 829,156 MSCF, up from 775,547 MSCF in the corresponding period of 2023.
This growth in exports continues to play a vital role in bolstering Nigeria’s foreign exchange earnings.
Despite these positive figures, sources close to the Ministry of Petroleum Resources (Gas) noted that oil remains the dominant force in Nigeria’s energy sector, with gas taking a secondary role.
On the other hand, the NUPRC’s oil production report revealed a remarkable surge.
Nigeria’s oil output, including condensates, rose by 13.3% year-on-year in November 2024, reaching 1.7 million barrels per day (bpd), up from 1.5 million bpd in November 2023. Month-on-month, oil production also increased by 10%, from 1.5 million bpd in October 2024.
Dr. Muda Yusuf, CEO of the Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprises (CPPE), discussed the broader structural dynamics within Nigeria’s economy, highlighting the dominance of the non-oil sector.
In his 2025 Outlook, Dr. Yusuf noted that the non-oil sector contributed 94.43% to Nigeria’s GDP in Q3 2024, while the oil sector accounted for just 5.57%.
“However, the economy is characterized by a paradox of the oil sector contributing an estimated 90% of foreign exchange earnings, while the non-oil sector accounts for about 10%,” Dr. Yusuf said.
“This is a structural shortcoming in our economy which needs to be addressed, as sectors that contribute hugely to GDP have no corresponding contribution to foreign exchange earnings.”
He further emphasized the need to address the challenges faced by the non-oil sector, which include issues related to productivity, infrastructure, funding, and regulatory constraints.
“The policy implication is that more should be done to fix the challenges of productivity and competitiveness of the non-oil sector of the economy,” Dr. Yusuf added
Energy
JUST IN: NNPC Ltd Reopens Warri Refinery
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) has announced that the 125,000-barrel-per-day Warri Refining & Petrochemicals Company (WRPC) in Warri, Delta State, has become operational.
This is coming about a month after the commencement of operations at the 60,000-barrel-per-day-old Port Harcourt Refinery.
The Group Chief Executive Officer, NNPC Ltd, Mele Kyari, made the disclosure during a tour of the facility on Monday.
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A video posted by Channels TV on Monday showed Kyari addressing a tour team, which included the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Farouk Ahmed.
Before the tour commenced, Kyari explained that the inspection aimed to show Nigerians the level of work completed so far.
According to him, although the repairs on the facility are not yet 100 per cent complete, operations have commenced.
He said, “We are taking you through our plant. This plant is running. Although it is not 100 per cent complete, we are still in the process. Many people think these things are not real. They think real things are not possible in this country. We want you to see that this is real.”
Located in Ekpan, Uwvie, and Ubeji, Warri, the petrochemical plant produces 13,000 metric tonnes per annum (MTA) of polypropylene and 18,000 MTA of carbon black.
Commissioned in 1978 and managed by NNPC Ltd, the WRPC was built to supply markets in the southern and southwestern regions of Nigeria.
The mechanical completion of the facility was initially scheduled for the first quarter of 2024, according to the Spokesperson of the NNPC Ltd, Olufemi Soneye.
“Warri should be done by Q1 (first quarter) 2024,” Soneye stated.
The WRPC is one of Nigeria’s four refineries. Others include the old and new Port Harcourt Refining Company in Rivers State and the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company in Kaduna State.