Nigeria loses almost half its power output after gas pipeline fire

• 6 years ago (2018-01-04)
• David Flin

Africa 303 Gas 371 Transmission 181

---

A fire at a Nigerian gas pipeline interrupted gas supplies to companies generating more than 3000 MW. The fire at the Ecscavos-Lagos pipeline owned by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation in the southern Edo state required a shutdown of the pipeline supplying gas to the 1320 MW Egbin power plant, the country’s biggest, and four others, according to a statement from the Power, Works, and Housing Ministry. The four other plants that were shutdown were: Olorunsogo NIPP (676 MW); Olorunsogo I (338 MW); Omotosho NIPP (450 MW); and Omotosho I (338 MW).

The interruption tripped the national transmission grid on 2 January, the Ministry said. Most of Nigeria’s power supply is from gas-fired power generation. The gas produced by oil and gas companies is delivered to the power stations through pipelines owned and operated by the Nigerian Gas Processing and Transportation Company (NGPTC).

The Ministry said that an investigation into the cause of the fire was underway. It has been attributed to a bush fire.

The nationwide blackout continued into Wednesday after efforts by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) to restore electricity failed following a second system collapse of the transmission network. According to TCN, the second system failure occurred when the Odukpani-Ikot Ekpene 330 kV transmission line tripped, cutting off electricity transmission from the Odukpani power station to the grid.

TCN said that it had commenced investigations to determine the exact cause of this second system disturbance. Ndidi Mbah, General Manager of Public Affairs for TCN, said: “The system disturbance happened at a time when work on the Western Gas Pipeline (Ecscavos-Lagos Pipeline System) by NGPTC was yet to be completed. The grid would have withstood the Odukpani infraction, if generation along the Lagos region was available.”