Power supply to improve nationwide as NNPC restores Escravos gas pipeline

The country’s electricity supply situation is set to improve as the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC said it has concluded repair works on the Escravos-Lagos Pipeline, ELP, and gas supply has been restored to the affected power plants. NNPC, in a statement by its Group General Manger, Group Public Affairs Division, Mr. Ndu Ughamadu, said the speedy repair of the pipeline was following the directive by the Group Managing Director, Mr. Maikanti Baru, to carry out an assessment of the damage with a view to getting a prompt solution.

He said, “Escravos-Lagos Pipeline (ELP) which came down last week as a result of a fire incident has been restored and gas supply to customers on the line including power generating companies resumed.” He further stated that with the restoration of the ELP and resumption of gas supply, the affected power plants with a combined generating capacity of 1,143 megawatts, MW, would resume power generation.

Ughamadu identified the affected power plants as: Egbin Power Plant in Lagos State; Olorunshogo Power Plant, PEL Olorunshogo and Paras Power Plant in Ogun State; and Omotosho Power Plant in Ondo State. He noted that a section of the ELP at Abakila in Ondo State, had went up in flames on January 2, 2018 as a result of bush fire, affecting gas supply to customers in Ondo, Ogun and Lagos States with subsequent shutdown of a number of power plants.

The NNPC spokesperson explained that the 36-inch Escravos to Lagos Pipeline System (ELPS) is a natural gas pipeline built in 1989 to supply gas from Escravos in the Niger Delta to various consumption utilization areas. He said the pipeline supplies gas to power plants in the South-west and also feeds the West African Gas Pipeline System.