By Yemie Adeoye

ABUJA—IN an effort to ensure steady supply of electricity nationwide, four months after the declaration of a Gas Supply Emergency Plan, the Federal Government, yesterday, set a 12-month time-line to address seeming misalignment in the nation’s gas-to-power aspirations.

This comes as the nation’s power generation capacity reached an all time high of 4.2GW. Addressing journalists in Abuja, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, Minister of Petroleum Resources, said the improvement in gas supply, which precipitated the noticeable increase in volume of power generation, was the result of aggressive infrastructure expansion and gas supply development initiatives.

She said: “Since the roll out of the plan, we have achieved major milestones in the expansion of the Escravos-Pipeline System— the major gas supply artery to the power plants.

“This is part of the most extensive expansion ever undertaken on this pipeline network since it was built 30 years ago.”

She listed the items completed in the critical pipeline segments to include the 27kmX24inch permanent gas supply pipeline from Itoki to Olorunshogo via Ewekoro, all in Ogun State; the 56kmX24inch Escravos-Warri gas pipeline, doubling the pipeline capacity and enhancing gas evacuation from Escravos, and the 30kmX36inch Oben to Geregu pipeline.

She added: “The net impact of all these is the addition of 120 million cubic feet of gas per day (mmcf/d) to the grid and the permanent elimination of the challenges of low gas pressure that has plagued the Olorunshogo PHCN and NIPP power plants.

“We are also now well positioned to supply gas to the existing Geregu Power Plant and all anticipated future expansions in that axis.

“Specifically, with these interventions, we are now able to supply gas to the full requirements of Egbin, Sapele PHCN, Delta IV, Olorunshogo, both PHCN and NIPP plants, and Omotosho PHCN power plants.

“In addition, we are able to meet the requirements of two out of three turbines in Geregu and one out of two turbines in Sapele NIPP.”

Alison-Madueke said despite the obvious marked improvement in power generation as a result of the Gas Supply Emergency Plan, work continued on the implementation of the plan with further targeted additions.

She said: “In essence, between now and December, Nigerians can expect continued growth over the current all-time peak recorded by the Power Ministry.

“Going forward, this trend will continue as we finally address the underpinning challenges of the supply system.”

“I am convinced that we have effectively come out of the deep with the Nigerian power situation and would expect a steady upward climb from here.”She added that major works on the Utorogu and Ughelli gas plants have reached completion stage.”

Some of the projected additions include: a further 65mmcf/d, within the next three to four weeks, to come from ongoing work at Oredo field, which will effectively bridge outstanding gap in supply, enabling supply to all power plants on the Western axis.

It is also envisaged that the gross short term additions by September will be 245mmcf/d as opposed to the promised 180mmcf/d in the short term.

Earlier in the year, both plants recorded an all-time low combined output of 300mmcf/d as a result of some maintenance challenges. With the repairs, the combined capacity is now 360mmcf/d, which is a net addition of 60mmcf/d.