5000 Megawatts Power Generation Is Not Realistic – Official

There are strong indications that the country may not meet the 5000 megawatts electricity power generation promised by the end of 2011.

Official in Lagos said the power generation had even dropped further from 4,089.4 to 3, 881 megawatts.

While Prof. Barth Nnaji, Minister of Power, had in August, said that government was exploring various short-term measures to get power generation to 5000 megawatts by December.

He said that the measures would include upgrading and refurbishing of old plants as well as improving capacities of the plants to achieve the objective

A source at the National Control Centre in Osogbo, said the power generation, which stood at 4,089.4 on Thursday evening, had dropped to 3,881 megawatts by Friday morning.

He said that? current power generation was hovering around 4, 089.4 to 4,200 megawatts, adding that based on the current situation, there was no way the generation could hit 5000 megawatts as promised.

“The current power generation as at this morning stood at 3, 881 megawatts as against yesterday night which stood at 4,089.4 megawatts.

“The country’s power generation is primarily fluctuating all over, but we cannot hit 5000 megawatts by this December,’’ the source said.

The source claimed that some of the country hydro plants were undergoing overhauling.

?Egbin Power Station, which contributes about 1,080 megawatts into the national grid, has dropped to 800 megawatts.

This has impacted grossly on the electricity distribution and supply to customers in the country.

When contacted, Mr Hussain Labo,? Managing Director of PHCN, said “please, I don’t know anything about generation; I don’t want to comment on the power generation.

“You can call the generation section for an update,’’ he said.

Efforts to get the power minister for his comments proved abortive.

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