We keep hearing that the national grid has collapsed! Nobody has asked how?? Ask them how, because it is imperative to understand these people when they give excuses. How? In what way did it crash? Did the transmission infrastructure fail or did the distribution network and infrastructure collapse?
They are liars! Do you know what really happened? They can no longer sustain their lies with N700 diesel. Instead of investing in proper power generating facilities and capacity, what most of the GenCos have been doing is to get by on what is called Peak Power diesel plants and now, apparently that plan has gone belly up! It has become unsustainable!
I will explain. What has been sustaining Nigerian power supply for a few years now is mostly our hydroelectric plants and Turbine power station operations such as Egbin, Afam, Olorunsogo and Sapele power plants. Up until February, Egbin was contributing an average of 800MW to 900MW to the national grid. Egbon has an installed capacity of 1320MW. Sadly, there was a recent fire outbreak in Egbin. This happened this past February, after which Egbin lost about 630MW of its output and thus, its ability to contribute meaningfully to the national grid was greatly diminished.
Other power plants could barely pick up the slack. Do you know why? Most of the nation's powerplants are either non-functional or only partially functional. Many Gencos are quack companies - they were sold to the politically connected, most of whom were inexperienced and greedy oligarchs, who are ever claiming subsidy and capacity which they do not have, cos they have not really invested. Power generation requires massive investment, after which the benefits and dividends could be sustained for many decades. They clearly do not care about investing, all they are interested in is the subventions and rents from FGN.
What many of these GenCos have been doing is what is called Peak power contribution - these are essential massive diesel generators which are designed to contribute in times of high demand, to a more stable and constant base powerplant in a grid setup. In essence, a Genco should ideally have a base powerplant (could be Gas turbine or Coal) and then in addition to that, a peak power supplement. The peak power supplement would normally only be used when there is short-lived or sudden high demand.
What happened to our Gencos is that most of our base power plants are not functional (this is why we keep hearing claims of generating capacity which is never realized or manifested in our total output or experience as consumers). Many of our Gencos contribute so little to the national base power pool that it is laughable! For that, they get to claim a status of being "partially functional". What these criminal Gencos have really been sustaining themselves with is the supplementary peak power contribution and thus, they have been almost entirely dependent on diesel. When diesel price went up astronomically, they went belly up!
They can no longer sustain the cost of their deceitful and false existence. It explains why the industry has forever been complaining about not making profits. They have not invested in the proper infrastructure. This has made our electricity very expensive! This is in truth what caused the so-called "National grid to crash". Remember the statement that Nigeria economy is run on diesel? It has never been truer than it is now! And things are not going to get better soon - not until raining season. You all need to start praying for rain.
Figure out the national greed and let the national grid be freed.
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