Egbin power plant restores electricity generation
After an initial set back that threatened reduced supply to the national grid on Thursday, electricity generation has rebounded following the restoration of generation activities at the Egbin Power Plant,
After an initial set back that threatened reduced supply to the national grid on Thursday, electricity generation has rebounded following the restoration of generation activities at the Egbin Power Plant, Ikorodu Lagos.
As at Saturday afternoon, the plant had restored 320 megawatts (MW) of its 1, 320MW to the national grid. Yesterday, the generation from the country’s biggest generation plant had ramped up to 452MW as at 5:00pm.
Egbin Thermal Power Station is Nigeria’s largest thermal power plant in Nigeria located in Ijede/Egbin, Ikorodu, Lagos State, accounts for a significant part of the West African power network. It has an installed capacity of 1,320 megawatts (MW), consisting of six units, with each unit having a capacity of 220 MW. The plant is gas-fired (natural gas) but is capable of running on Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) as a secondary fuel. While the installed capacity is 1,320 MW, actual generation has previously fluctuated, with recorded peaks near 1,000 MW.
On Thursday, the plant suffered a tragic incident involving a contractor during underwater maintenance activities at its plant, leading to the shutdown of the plant. The incident was caused by the failure of the plant’s central compressor, in addition to a malfunction of the circulating water pump system, which necessitated an immediate shutdown of all generating units to safeguard the facility.
Inside sources at the power plant confirmed the development on The Nation on phone yesterday. Also, in a statement made available to The Nation by the Egbin power plant management, the firm acknowledged that a tragic incident involving a contractor during underwater maintenance activities at its plant.
“The Board and Management of Egbin Power express deep sorrow and extend heartfelt condolences to the family, loved ones, and colleagues of the deceased. Our thoughts are with them at this difficult time.
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“Immediately following the incident, established emergency response, safety, and reporting protocols were activated, and the relevant authorities were promptly notified.
“Egbin Power is cooperating with relevant law enforcement agencies and other stakeholders as part of ongoing efforts to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident. A thorough review of the situation is currently underway. The company remains firmly committed to the health, safety, and well-being of all personnel and contractors, and to maintaining the highest standards across its operations.”
On its part, the Ikeja Electric Plc attributed the persistent power outages being experienced in Lagos to a drop in electricity allocation from the national grid.
The utility, in a statement on its official X platform at the weekend, apologised to customers for the disruptions, noting that several locations within its network are affected by the reduced supply.
“We sincerely regret the ongoing power supply challenges currently affecting some areas within our network due to reduced power allocation from the grid,” the company stated.
“As part of efforts to maintain grid stability and ensure equitable distribution of available power, temporary load shedding is being implemented across affected feeders and locations,” it added.
