Egbin Power Station, one of the largest thermal power stations in the country, has been temporarily shut down to facilitate maintenance work on a crucial gas pipeline.
The shutdown, which commenced at 11:13 hours on December 18, 2023, is expected to last for three days, causing a substantial reduction in the national power grid’s capacity.
Egbin Power Station, a cornerstone in Nigeria’s power generation framework, contributes a substantial 676MW of bulk power to the national grid.
Why the shutdown
The station’s closure is necessary to allow the Nigeria Gas Company (NGC) to conduct vital maintenance on the gas pipeline that supplies the facility.
- This maintenance is crucial for ensuring the long-term reliability and safety of the power supply system.
- The temporary shutdown of the Egbin Power Station will result in a significant reduction of power available to distribution companies and load centers nationwide.
- This decrease in supply could lead to temporary power outages or load shedding in various parts of the country, potentially impacting residential, commercial, and industrial activities.
It stated,
“This is to notify the general public that as at 11:13 hours of 18th December 2023, Egbin Power generating station was shut down to allow the Nigeria Gas Company (NGC) to maintain linking gas pipelines supplying gas to Egbin Power station”
“The station will be shut down for 3 days from today”
“This means a reduction of 676MW of bulk power generated into the nation’s grid for 3 days consequently the quantum of bulk power available to be delivered to distribution companies load centres nationwide for the period” Egin Power Station
In response to the shutdown, the government and power distribution companies are expected to implement contingency measures to mitigate the impact on end-users.
These measures might include the activation of alternative power sources and the implementation of strategic load management to balance the reduced supply.
Optics
The public has been advised to anticipate possible power fluctuations during the maintenance period and to plan accordingly.
- The power sector authorities have reassured the public that the maintenance is a necessary step towards ensuring the long-term stability and efficiency of the national power grid.
- The temporary shutdown of the Egbin Power Station poses immediate challenges to power distribution across Nigeria, especially for Lagosians who will have to grapple with epileptic power supply for the period.
- However, the maintenance work conducted by the NGC is essential for ensuring the reliability and safety of the power supply, ultimately contributing to the country’s economic and industrial growth.
About Egbin Power Station
The Egbin power station is located in the Ikorodu area of Lagos state and supplies around 16% of the total electricity to the National Grid. It has an installed capacity of 1320MW which makes it the largest provider of electricity in Nigeria.
- In June, Egbin power station recorded a 1000MW power generation peak representing around 29.9% of the total electricity generated by all 19 power-generating plants in the country.
- In 2022, Egbin Power Plc experienced a fire incident at its power plant, causing blackouts in parts of Lagos state and its surroundings.
The power generation company reported that the fire outbreak was effectively controlled by its firefighting team, working in collaboration with firefighters from the Nigeria Gas Company at Egbin.