1 month ago
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The 476-megawatt capacity Alaoji power plant in Abia State has not generated any electricity in the past six months, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission said in a report.
Alaoji, owned by the Niger Delta Power Holding Company under the National Integrated Power Project recorded a zero per cent plan availability factor in two consecutive quarters (Q42023 and Q12024) due to gas pressure issues.
The availability factor of a plant is measured as a ratio of the maximum rated output of the plant declared by the operator (available capacity) relative to the maximum rated output specified by the manufacturer (installed capacity).
The available capacity of a plant may change from time to time due to several factors including atmospheric conditions at the plant; mechanical availability of the plant (planned and unplanned outages); and feedstock availability, among others.
According to the NERC, the Alaoji plant has remained dormant because available gas cannot be delivered to the plant at the pressure required for the turbines to operate.
“This is the second consecutive quarter where Alaoji NIPP has recorded a 0 per cent PAF due to gas pressure issues i.e. available gas cannot be delivered to the plant at the pressure required for the turbines to operate” the NERC stated.
It added that the management of the NDPHC was working with its gas supplier and other relevant stakeholders to implement measures to resolve the issues hindering gas supply to the plant.
According to NERC, some of the measures being considered include a gas swap arrangement between the various suppliers using the pipelines that will allow gas to be delivered to the Alaoji plant, a temporary measure to be implemented in the shortest possible time to ensure delivery of gas to the plant.
It noted that the NDPHC was also considering the construction of a bypass line that would redirect gas flow to avoid nodes with high-pressure thresholds, and the installation of compressors by the gas supplier to boost the gas pressure delivery regime.
In the first quarter of 2024, NERC declared that the hydropower plants – Dadin Kowa, Shiroro, Jebba, and Kainji – recorded decreases in PAF compared to Q42023 due to low water flow.
“The decrease in the PAF of the hydropower plants is consistent with the expected impact of seasonality on river flows. The capacities of hydropower plants are limited by water availability from January to July every year,” it stated.
The Alaoji power plant is not one of the five NIPP plants put up for sale by the NDPHC.
