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The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has disclosed that four power plants managed by the Niger Delta Power Holding Company did not produce any electricity in the second quarter of 2024.
According to reports from The PUNCH, these plants, part of the National Integrated Power Project, include Omotosho NIPP, Ihovbor NIPP, Alaoji NIPP, and Sapele GT NIPP. All four facilities reported a Plant Availability Factor (PAF) of zero percent during the period.
The PAF is a key indicator used to measure the proportion of a plant’s operational capacity relative to its maximum rated output. Despite each of these plants having an installed capacity of 500 megawatts, none of them were able to generate electricity from April to June, primarily due to persistent gas supply shortages.
As a result, the combined generation capacity loss from these plants amounted to 2,000 megawatts over the three-month period. The NERC report also revealed that the average PAF for all grid-connected plants in Q2 2024 was just 32.3 percent, meaning more than two-thirds of the nation’s installed power capacity was not in operation.
“Only four power plants recorded availability factors above 50 percent during this period, with Azura IPP achieving the highest at 98.05 percent,” the report noted.
However, the four non-performing plants have now posted PAF figures below five percent for two consecutive quarters, largely due to ongoing gas supply constraints. NERC has assured that efforts are being made by the Niger Delta Power Holding Company, alongside its gas suppliers and other stakeholders, to resolve these challenges.
In addition, the report highlighted a decline in the performance of hydropower plants, with significant drops in availability at Dadin Kowa (-47.80 percentage points), Kainji (-17.34pp), Shiroro (-13.59pp), and Jebba (-5.46pp), reflecting the usual impact of seasonal river flow reductions from January to July.
Meanwhile, the total number of grid-connected power plants increased to 28, following the commissioning of the Zungeru hydropower plant, which began supplying electricity to the grid on April 29, 2024. Despite this, the overall average available generation capacity among grid-connected plants dropped by 5.28 percent, from 4,249.10 megawatts in Q1 to 4,024.81 megawatts in Q2.
While several plants, such as Egbin ST (Gas), Rivers IPP, and Geregu NIPP, saw improvements in their available capacity, others experienced significant declines, including Sapele GT NIPP, Ihovbor NIPP, and Olorunsogo NIPP.
The report also noted a 2.62 percent drop in average hourly generation from thermal plants, with 16 of the 23 thermal stations reporting lower output, mainly due to gas supply limitations and mechanical issues.
Thermal plants currently make up 73.02 percent of Nigeria’s power generation mix, with hydropower contributing 26.98 percent. Minister of Power Adebayo Adelabu recently announced that the country’s generation capacity has risen to 5,500 megawatts, with expectations to hit 6,000 megawatts by the end of the year.