‘Maintenance work’ — NDPHC speaks on alleged blackout over failure to supply gas to DisCos

The Niger Delta Power Holding Company Limited (NDPHC) has provided clarifications on reports that two electricity distribution companies (DisCos) suffered power outages due to its failure to supply gas.

The DisCos are Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) and Aba Power Limited Electric (APLE).

Recent media reports said the NDPHC had no gas supply to power 10 of its plants, thereby leaving customers in darkness.

In a statement issued by Adesanya Adejokun, media adviser of NDPHC, the company denied the claims, providing details on how it operates.

“It is essential to emphasise that NDPHC is a trailblazer in the realm of bilateral agreement initiatives with distribution companies (DisCos) within the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI),” the statement reads.

“Notably, the two mentioned distribution companies in the article-namely. Eko and Aba have actively contributed to the success of this pioneering approach.”

Providing clarification on the alleged plant shutdown, the company said the power outage was promptly resolved on Monday, August 6, 2023, as against the claim that it extended until Tuesday.

“Furthermore, it is essential to address that the outage was a direct result of scheduled maintenance on gas facilities conducted by our suppliers,” NDPHC added.

“This maintenance activity had a temporary impact on our operations, contributing to the temporary disruption in power supply.

“On the morning of August 6, 2023, NDPHC received immediate instructions from the Nigeria Gas Infrastructure Company (NGIC) at approximately 08:25 hours to initiate a shutdown. This directive was prompted by ongoing maintenance work being conducted at NGIC’s gas facilities.

“Regrettably, this maintenance work led to a significant reduction in the available gas quantity, reaching as low as 13MMscf. This quantity proved insufficient to adequately fuel our gas turbine, which boasts a capacity of 125MW (ISO rating).

“Adding to these unforeseen circumstances, the Gas Aggregation Company of Nigeria (GACN) also communicated with NDPHC around 10:30 hours on the same day, August 6, 2023. Their notification outlined the challenges faced in gas supply along the Western axis pipeline.

“This pipeline is vital as it supplies gas to five of our power plants. These supply difficulties arose due to the ongoing maintenance efforts undertaken by Seplat and CNL, our esteemed gas suppliers.”

NDPHC said the culmination of these events critically impacted gas pressure, ultimately necessitating the shutdown of all its power plants.

“We acknowledge the complex and interconnected nature of these challenges, and we are actively engaged with our partners to expedite the resolution of these issues and restore regular operations,” the company added.

“Nevertheless, on August 7, 2023, NDPHC’s Omotosho Power Plant achieved synchronisation with the grid, precisely at 07:47 and 08:04 hours.

“These actions were undertaken following explicit instructions and approvals received from the National Control Centre (NCC) and NGC, respectively. 

“A thorough review of the NCC’s daily load allocation table for the 8th of August, 2023 underscores NDPHC’s unwavering commitment to meeting its contractual obligations.

“Specifically, we have consistently fulfilled our responsibilities in supplying EKEDC and APLE with the stipulated electricity capacities as delineated in the power purchase agreement (PPA).”