Blackout: Nigerians to experience a week of darkness

Monday, November 4, 2013

Nigerians will experience a week-long
electricity rationing that will put the country
into darkness for the period. This will be the
longest period in recent years that the
country would be faced with blackout.
The development is coming few days after
the Federal Government declared that its
hand-over of the assets and facilities of
PHCN including generation and distribution
plants to private firms was successful.
The authorities had explained that the
problem was due to the loss of 400
megawatts following repair works being
carried out by the Shell Petroleum
Development Company (SPDC), the major
suppliers of gas to the power plants
particularly Afam VI Power plant.
The management of Transmission Company
of Nigeria (TCN) in a statement in Abuja
yesterday said there would be a reduction in
generation output by 400mw, from today to
Saturday, November 9, 2013. According to
the statement, "this is due to the Shell
Petroleum Development Company's (SPDC)
scheduled maintenance work on Okoloma
gas plant supplying gas to Afam VI Power
Plant, thereby leading to the shutdown of the
power plant, resulting in nationwide power
rationing."
It explained further that the shutdown of
Afam VI power plant became necessary to
allow SPDC inspect and carry out routine
maintenance work on the Okoloma natural
gas station in Afam, Rivers State, to ensure its
technical integrity.
"Maintenance work on Okoloma gas plant,
SPDC revealed was important to guarantee
continuous and uninterrupted supply of gas
to Afam VI for power generation into the
national grid."