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Tag: Blackout

Blackout Worsens as National Grid Collapse for 5th time in 2022
There was widespread blackout across the country on Sunday following the collapse of the national power grid, making it the fifth collapse of Nigeria’s electricity grid in 2022.
It was learnt that the grid collapse on Sunday occurred around 6.49pm, leading to the shutdown of the outgoing electricity feeders of some power distribution companies.
The Enugu Electricity Distribution Company Plc and Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company in separate messages obtained by our correspondent confirmed the grid collapse.
Findings had earlier shown that the quantum of power on the grid as at 6am on Sunday was 3,628.6 megawatts, but it was gathered that this crashed significantly in the evening leading to the eventual grid collapse.
Nigeria’s power grid had collapsed twice in March and twice again in April this year, as the power generation on the system had continued to fluctuate due to various concerns such as gas constraint, water management challenges, gas pipeline vandalism, among others.
Confirming Sunday’s collapse in a notice on its verified Twitter handle, entitled, “Power Outage In Our Franchise Due To Grid Collapse,” Kaduna Disco said, “Dear esteemed customers, we regret to inform you that the power outage being experienced in our franchise states is due to system collapse of the national grid.
“The collapse occured at about 18:47pm this evening hence the loss of supply on all our outgoing feeders. Power supply shall be restored as soon as the national grid is powered back. Our sincere apologies for any inconvenience.”
Also, the Head, Corporate Communications, EEDC, Emeka Ezeh, said the grid collapse threw five states under the Disco’s franchise area in total blackout.
A notice from the Disco, which he signed, read in part, “The Enugu Electricity Distribution Company Plc wishes to inform her esteemed customers of a system collapse which occurred at 6.49pm this evening, Sunday, June 12, 2022.
“As a result of this development, all our outgoing feeders are out and this has affected supply to our customers in Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo states.
“We are on standby, awaiting further information on restoration of supply from the National Control Centre. Thank you.”
Reacting to this, an industry expert and legal practitioner, who doubles as President, Nigeria Consumer Protection Network, Kunle Olubiyo, stated that though the situation was worrisome, blackouts were no longer new to some power users.
He said, “To some of the electricity consumers, there are already used to perpetual darkness. Grid collapse to them is a permanent feature.
“That means that their own grid collapse is indefinite. And when they get a flash at all of 20 minutes or an hour or two, all you will hear will be “up NEPA!”
In April, reports had it that the quantum of electricity on the grid crashed from over 3,000MW on April 8, 2022, to as low as 10MW around 21.00 hours same day.
The report further stated that another collapse of the grid occurred on Saturday, April 9, 2022, as the nation’s power system collapsed to 33MW around 01.00 hours, after it had earlier posted a peak generation of 3,281.50MW at 00.00 hours the same day.
Also, the national grid collapsed twice in March and this happened within a space of two days, a development that made the Federal Government to summon a meeting of stakeholders to address the issue.
June 13, 2022
Blackout : National Grid Suffers Total Collapses
Nigeria’s National Power Grid has collapsed again yesterday leaving the entire country without electricity supply.
The latest collapse followed weeks of bickering among operators that have led to poor power generation by the electricity generation companies (GenCos).
Checks by Vanguard on the National System Operator’s portal showed that as of 7 pm last night no plant was on the grid.
As at the time of filing this report, an emergency meeting of the operators with the government summoned by the Minister of Power was still ongoing.
The Association of Power Generation Companies (APGC) had on Sunday blamed poor management of the grid by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) as one of the factors responsible for low power generation in the country.
GenCos said most of their turbines have been damaged by inefficient management of the grid.
APGC Executive Secretary, Mrs Joy Ogaji said: “The GenCos are supposed to start and stop at most 20 times a year but in Nigeria, the GenCos start and stop 365 days every year and this wear and tear are affecting the plants which cause maintenance issues at a time when they should be optimal.
“Last year GenCos engaged an expert to investigate these issues, it was found that the ramp down and ramp-up has affected the turbines. For instance, Siemens has told Geregu to shut down the machines because if the start-stop continues it will destroy the three turbines until after maintenance. General Electric has also notified Calabar on a similar issue and awaiting maintenance.”
March 15, 2022
Blackout in Lagos cities will continue for four weeks – TCN
The Nigerian Export Promotion Council has organised a workshop for over 60 operators of Small and Medium-scale Enterprises in Osun State on how to make their products fit for export.
The workshop, which was held in Osogbo, was tagged ‘Facilitating strategic export market access programme in collaboration with the trade support institutions.’
The Assistant Director, Policy and Strategy Department, NEPC, Aliu Saddique, said the participants were SMEs owners with the potential to export to the international market.
He said the council was using the model developed by the Centre for the Promotion of Imports from Developing Countries to train the participants so as to enable them to have a good understanding of the demands of the international market.
The Osun State Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Industries and Empowerment, Dr Bode Olaonipekun, called for serious planning ahead of the time when crude oil would no longer bring revenue for the country again.
October 29, 2021
Blackout worsens as National Grid collapses
The national power grid on Wednesday suffered another system collapse, resulting in worsening the blackout in parts of the country.
The Nation gathered that power grid collapse occurred around 11.00 am on Wednesday and was confirmed by two of the country’s electricity distribution companies in two messages to their customers.
A message by Kaduna Electric on Twitter said: “We regret to inform you that the power outage currently being experienced across our franchise – Kaduna, Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara states – is as a result of the collapse of the national grid.”
Similarly, Eko Electricity Distribution Company Plc, in a message to its customers, said, “Dear customer, there is a partial system collapse on the national grid. Our TCN partners are working to restore supply immediately. Please bear with us.”
Details shortly…
May 12, 2021
Shutdown of PHEDC operations in Yenagoa over N16.5bn debt, blackout enters Day 10
The electricity outage occasioned by the face-off between the Ijaw Youths Council (IYC) and the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHEDC) has entered the 10th day with unpleasant impacts.
The IYC had, on Dec.23, besieged the offices of the PHEDC and forced the staff to shut down operations, occupying the premises to protest perceived poor power supply to residents.
The development, which resulted in a total power outage in Yenagoa and its environs, as well as Ahoada and some parts of Rivers, has made the residents to rely wholly on power generators with resultant increase in petrol demand and cost of living.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) checks in Yenagoa indicate that filling stations struggle to cope with long lines of residents who throng the stations and wait for hours to buy fuel in jerry cans.
NAN learnt that dialogues and other efforts to resolve the conflict hit a brick wall, as the power distribution company claimed that it was grappling with a debt burden of N16.5 billion as at November, 2019, which hampered its operations.
The IYC subsequently challenged PHEDC to substantiate its claim that customers in Bayelsa owed it N16.5 billion.
Mr Kenedy Olorogun, Central Zone Chairman of IYC who gave NAN an update on a dialogue sought by Bayelsa Government to resolve the face-off, said the debt claim was a ‘fairy tale’ to cover up incompetence.
According to him, information from the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) showed that there was sufficient power at the substation at Gbarain, Yenagoa, but the PHEDC was not taking the power to homes.
NAN investigation showed that TCN, on Aug. 20, 2019, announced the lifting of a suspension order from the electricity market it placed on the PHEDC on July 27, for breach of ‘Market Conditions/Participation Agreement.
According to a notice available on TCN’s portal, the lifting of the sanction was a regulatory measure to ensure that distribution companies evacuate available power.
TCN said that lifting of the sanction followed PHEDC’s compliance, and took effect on August 19, 2019.
The PHEDC and TCN had been shifting blames on the poor power supply in Bayelsa, with TCN saying that the PHEDC was unable to take up available power at its substation, while the PHEDC alleged that it was not getting enough power from the TCN’s grid.
Olorogun said that the N16.5 billion debt had no bearing with power supply to Bayelsa which was the basis of the protest, adding that the claim was cheap blackmail.
“The leadership of IYC Central Zone is challenging the claim made by the PHEDC that Bayelsa people owe electricity Bill of Sixteen Billion, Five Hundred Thousand Naira (N16.5 billion).
“The people of Bayelsa have not been enjoying uninterrupted power supply over the years; that is the reason we are protesting.
“How did we get such a huge amount when we are saying that we do not see power?
“The claim is just blackmail, we are demanding for service for which we are ready to pay, we are saying we can no longer pay for darkness and services not rendered. That is our position.
“We call on PHEDC to produce a proof of its claim with all necessary documents, or be ready to face legal actions by Ijaw people for defamation of character caused by the allegation.
Mr John Onyi, Manager, Corporate Communications, PHEDC, told NAN that the development had taken a negative toll on the utility company, causing untold hardship to numerous customers.
He said that Ahoada Community also shut down PHEDC office in the area, leading to blackout in the ancient town during Christmas.
“PHEDC staff are now living in fear as their lives have been threatened by the IYC who warned them not to be spotted around the offices and claim it has taken over offices in Yenagoa.
“In addition, the IYC threatened that any vehicle belonging to PHEDC spotted in the city will not only be seized and impounded, but will have its driver assaulted.
“The IYC, according to its leadership, is demanding uninterrupted power supply and removal of breakers.
“At various meetings previously held with the IYC, PHEDC made it known that installation of breakers was for administrative convenience of the company and not to jeopardise the life span of the equipment.
“On the 24-hour daily power supply, the IYC has repeatedly been told that limitations from the national grid does not allow that for now; PHEDC gets its share based on what is generated.
“The responsibility of PHEDC, for the umpteenth time, is to distribute what it gets to its customers in Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River and Rivers.
“Yenagoa is not marginalised in terms of power supply as alleged by the Ijaw Youth Council, but it is a common knowledge that every disco, including PHEDC, does systematic load shedding.
“The sustainability of not only PHEDC but the power sector generally depends on payment of electricity bills by customers,” Onyi said.
Onyi said that the company was burdened by high debt profile, adding that as at Nov. 30, 2019, electricity consumers in Bayelsa owed PHEDC about N16.5 billion, thereby hampering its operations.
“PHEDC is not at war with any of its customers or indeed the IYC, but where some people decide to take laws into their hands by chasing staff away from performing their legitimate duties, it calls for a serious concern.
“We, therefore, call on relevant government functionaries and security agencies to prevail on the IYC to vacate PHEDC offices.
“On the other hand, Ahoada Community did not only shut down our office, it also damaged items including office materials in addition to seizing its operational vehicles,” Onyi said.
He said that PHEDC had witnessed series of protests in its franchise area in spite of its efforts at improving service delivery by introducing several initiatives. (NAN)
January 3, 2020