johnie:

Technical lapses threaten 1,074 mw power plant

Tuesday, 10 May 2011 00:00 By Obiora Aduba (Lagos) and Gordi Udeajah (Umuahia

STARTLING revelations that the N1.3 billion ($8.5 million) gas pipeline being laid to the Alaoji Power Plant in Aba, Abia State, is not suitable for the facility may compel the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to review the project.

The Guardian learnt that both the size and nature of the pipeline to transport gas to the plant cannot effectively convey the product because the pressure level is very low.

The NNPC management, it has now been learnt, was told that the old 12 inches low-pressure pipeline could carry enough gas for the first two units of the 1,074 megawatts Alaoji plant, which were scheduled to come on stream in November 2010.

Five months after, neither the plant nor the gas pipeline is ready, thereby threatening national electricity growth projections.

The new 18 inches pipeline is supposed to supply gas to the first two turbines of the Alaoji plant to generate 240MW pending the time the main pipeline measuring some 25 kilometres by 24 inches is completed, thus availing the nation of 1,074MW.

Guk:

Whilst one is hopeful, we should also hold our leaders accountable. It is saddening that they can blow trumpet that Multi Billions =N= spent to generate 375MW. Thats just enough to power 156,250 electric kettles & d VP is proud to blow grammar on TV about it. We are not serious, we spend too much to achieve little things & he was also proud to say the WHole President & C in C will commission in in 6 months time. Ask how much the visit of the VP & President has & will cost Nigeria. Such ceremonies shld be left to local govt chairman. Absolutely nothing to celebrate. My fear is GEJ will empty d treasury to actualise ds promise.

But on a positive note, lets be hopeful

kholis:

GEJ may mean well but the corruption in the power sector is above his reach. There are people who gain huge economic windfall from the comatose power situation in this country. Those powerful people are the owners of refineries outside the country which includes some of our past leaders who MUST frustrate any progressive move in this regard and GEJ is aware of this fact. Therefore it becomes ideal to continue the culture of heaping hope on the people while waiting to see how it all plays out.

The day you hear that the federal govt has made practical steps towards refining our crude oil within the country, then the real solution to fixing the power sector has begun in earnest. That is where our dear president should start from and not rhetoric like; road map, mega watts, national grid etc. Anything short of that is mere gimmick. Believe it or not.

Abiodun234:

-The government is suppose to be in charge of the transmission system (TCN), at the moment there are power plants capable of generating power but there is no transmission facility to evacuate the generated power (Am not too certain about this but I think I read it) . If the government is serious, massive expansion of the nation grid should have reached an appreciable stage by now.

marjo:

I have always wondered why our govt cannot look into alternative sources e.g solar and wind in the north, wind and hydro in the southeast/southsouth as alternative means of power generation . The dutch used wind generated power, the Congolese use hydro generated power. why cant we harness all these alternative sources. i am not a technical person but let the experts come out with ideas.

Abiodun234:

@ekt bear
The discos can not by-pass TCN because:
-The distribution network is not designed to handle large amount of power, they are very lossy. This is because they are designed to operate at medium and low voltage level.

-The power station generates power at a different voltage from what is required by the distribution network hence the needs for sub-stations. If the Disco and generating company decides to by-pass TCN they will be required to construct substations of their own.

-The law does not permit it.

-Security and redundancy issues:  if TCN is removed out of the equation, there is a possibility for the distributing company and the generating company to form a merger or acquire each other hence, creating a monopolised system.

In situation whereby a major power plants fails or is shut down intentionally, there is a need to get power from other generating stations outside you environment.

But you can generate different voltage levels from the power plant, right? The power plants don't produce high voltage power, right? I thought they step up the voltage and then convert to AC before sending onto the transmission grid

Shouldn't be that big an issue, though

You are saying that by law, the discos will have to buy their electricity from TCN? where does it say this?

It doesn't need to be that way. . . you can simply maintain the generating company as a separate entity and negotiate to buy electricity from them.

This is the only real issue, lack of redundancy. But I think it can be worth it, if you can avoid having to deal with TCN. Plus you can create a bit of redundancy by using several power plants, etc.

I'magine if you own the two Lagos disco or the Enugu Disco. You avoid having to deal with the government entirely if you negotiate directly with your power plants. This seems a very good thing to me. . . likely your profit is higher, and you avoid having to deal with TCN and their issues.

Let me put it this way: The distribution network is not designed to carry large power over a large distance hence the need for transmission network. There is a standard for outputted voltage form power generating station just as you can not change the voltage of your small diesel generators from 240V. (I stand to be correct though).

I think it is, bypassing is an issue because of the cost associated with it. Substations are capital intensive, also why construct a new one when you can lease.

The law states that once you generate above a particular amount of electric power you have to evacuate to the grid. I think its 1MW (am not sure as i can not access a reference at this time).

The generating and distributing company are separate companies but they the quire each other and create a monopoly if TCN is removed from the equation. For example in the UK, Eon generates and distribute but they have to first send what they generate to the national grid and then buy back from national grid for distribution. the TCN is suppose to regulate the whole system and that is why its not privatised (only the management would be privatised).

Several power plants means you generate more than you require or you construct some power plants as standby. This is too expensive an option in my view. In fact, some countries countries in Europe are interconnected i.e. A grid outside their own national grid such that in case of any eventuality they can easily import electricity.

This might be good for the bussiness owner but definately bad for the masses. You see my problem with monopoly, You are already envisaging  higher profit.

Distribution company has a monopoly regardless, no? I don't see how anything changes. It isn't as if the customer can buy electricity from someone else.

Abiodun234:

On redundancy issues, imagine Egbin power station with a capacity of 1320MW failing or going off-line and there is not TCN/grid.

The system can be developed to a stage whereby you can change disco e.g in the UK. This is only possible because they have a central transmission system, but am not sure Nigeria's system would grow towards that direction.

Anyway Nigeria problem always require Nigerian solutions, imported solutions don't work most of the time. .