Shiroro and six other plants could not generate a total of 720 megawatts of electricity on Sunday as a result of low load demand by the electricity distribution companies.
Data obtained from the Nigerian Electricity System Operator showed that the power plants on the national grid generated 4,424.2MW as of 6am on Sunday. As at the time, a total of 1952.5 megawatts of generation capacity was idle as a result of gas constraints, low load demand by Discos and water management.
The power plants affected by the Discos’ low demand included Shiroro and Jebba hydropower plants. Others were Odukpani (NIPP), Geregu I, Afam IV&V, Geregu II (NIPP), and Rivers IPP.
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According to the system operator, eight power plants did not generate electricity as of 6am on Sunday. The idles plants were Alaoji, Ihovbor, Gbarain, Ibom Power, ASCO, AES, Trans-Amadi and Egbin ST6.
In its recent guidelines, for implementation of Economic Merit Order Dispatch and Other Related Matters, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission said Discos that reject electricity load due to constraints in their networks would have to for the capacity charge of the rejected energy.
It said this was in accordance with the December 2019 Minor Review of the Multi-Year Tariff Order 2015 and Minimum Remittance Order for the Year 2020.
The commission stated that Section 11 of the order directed that the “Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading company shall hereafter invoice for capacity charge and energy to Discos based on their load allocation and metered energy respectively.”
It further stated that Section 12 of the order concluded that “where it is established that the Transmission Company of Nigeria is unable to deliver a Disco’s load allocation, TCN shall be liable to pay for the associated capacity charge. “Where a Disco fails to take its entire load allocation due to constraints in its network, the Disco shall be liable to pay the capacity charge as allocated in its vesting contract.”
