Alaoji Power Plant Falls Silent Amid Gas Pressure Woes
The Alaoji power plant in Abia State, with a capacity of 476 megawatts, has not produced any electricity for the past six months, according to a recent report by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC). The plant, owned by the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) under the National Integrated Power Project (NIPP), recorded a zero per cent plant availability factor (PAF) in the last two consecutive quarters—Q4 2023 and Q1 2024—due to gas pressure issues.
The PAF measures a plant’s available capacity as a ratio of its maximum rated output, with the Alaoji plant’s ongoing inactivity attributed to insufficient gas pressure for turbine operation. The NERC explained that the available capacity of a plant can fluctuate due to factors such as atmospheric conditions, mechanical availability, and feedstock supply.
“This is the second consecutive quarter where Alaoji NIPP has recorded a 0 per cent PAF due to gas pressure issues,” the NERC stated. “Available gas cannot be delivered to the plant at the pressure required for the turbines to operate.”
Efforts to resolve the gas pressure issue are ongoing, with NDPHC working alongside its gas supplier and other relevant stakeholders. Proposed solutions include a gas swap arrangement among suppliers to facilitate gas delivery to the Alaoji plant, the construction of a bypass line to redirect gas flow away from high-pressure nodes, and the installation of compressors by the gas supplier to enhance gas pressure delivery.
In addition to the challenges faced by the Alaoji plant, NERC reported declines in the PAF of several hydropower plants—Dadin Kowa, Shiroro, Jebba, and Kainji—during Q1 2024. These decreases were attributed to seasonal low water flow, which typically limits the capacities of hydropower plants from January to July each year.
“The decrease in the PAF of the hydropower plants is consistent with the expected impact of seasonality on river flows,” NERC stated.
It is noteworthy that the Alaoji power plant is not among the five NIPP plants listed for sale by the NDPHC, underscoring the significance of addressing the gas pressure issues to restore its operational capacity.
