Energy and Power
Power Supply Partially Restored as Egbin Plant Resumes Operations
By Joseph Amah, Abuja
Egbin Power Plc says that its power plant at Egbin, Ikorodu, Lagos State, had partially resumed operations, after a recent fire incident, which led to the shutting down of about 630 megawatts.
The company, which has an installed generating capacity of 1,320mw and contributes 16 per cent of Nigeria’s entire generation, said this in a statement, stressing that it had partially restored the generation of 220mw of the lost power.
During the week, power generation had dropped by 630mw after a fire outbreak at the plant led to the attendant shutdown of generation by the company, coupled with the load reduction mechanism adopted by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) to prevent system collapse.
The incident occurred at its power plant on Wednesday at about 4.20 pm, leading to a blackout in Lagos State, with the company saying that the fire outbreak was later successfully contained by a team of firefighters.
But in an update, the company stressed that its technical team was working to ensure that the entire system was fully back on stream.
“The management of Egbin Power Plc. wishes to inform the public and its stakeholders that plant operations have resumed following the recent fire incident at the power plant which was immediately contained.
“Unit (ST05) was put back in service and synchronised to the national grid at 19:57 hours on 4th February and is back on stream with a capacity of 220mw.
“The technical team at the plant is working tirelessly to ensure that 660mw is added to the grid before the weekend runs out,” it noted
According to the power company, it would continue to work with the regulatory authorities and other stakeholders to achieve full restoration in line with global health, safety, and environmental standards.
“While thanking our employees, the public, our partners and stakeholders for their unwavering support, cooperation and understanding, we use this medium to reiterate our commitment to bringing energy to life responsibly through safe, innovative and sustainable power generation,” it said.
Earlier, Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) and Ikeja Electric (IE) Plc had attributed the outage being experienced by customers under their networks to a drop in power generation.
In a separate statement issued on its social media page yesterday, regarding the state of power supply to its customers, EKEDC said the reduction in supply was due to the drop in power generation from an average of 3,700MW to 2,000MW per hour.
The Disco said this was caused by gas limitations arising from vandalism, and more recently an issue affecting the TCN line from the Egbin Power Plant.
In the same vein, Ikeja Electric said a power outage was being experienced in certain parts of its network due to load shedding by TCN as a result of the drop in power generation.
The Disco said the affected areas were: Iju, Abule Odu, Egbeda, Oregun, Anifowoshe, Ago, Okota, Oke Afa, Ajao, Amuwo, Ikosi, Mende, Ogudu, Bariga, Oworo, Gbagada and Ilupeju.
Meanwhile, TCN said it had restored 180mw out of the 630MW shutdown in the Egbin power station.
It noted that the ongoing load shedding in the Lagos axis was a result of the fire incident, which occurred at Egbin Power Station on Wednesday.
TCN’s General Manager, Public Affairs, Mrs Ndidi Mbah, who made this known in a statement, recalled that the fire necessitated the shutdown of all the power generating units at the power plant.
She explained that with the shutdown of the units, a total of 630mw was removed from the grid.
She noted that the ongoing load shedding in the Lagos axis is as a result of the fire incident which occurred in Egbin power station on Wednesday.
“This necessitated the shutdown of all the power generating units in the power station. With the shutdown of the units, a total of 630mw was removed from the grid.
“The removal of 630mw from the grid at the same time meant that TCN had to strive to ensure that it achieved generation load balance to maintain the stability of the grid.
“This it did by reducing bulk electricity to Lagos, to avoid overloading the 330kV lines within the state, while the third unit at the Shiroro Station was tied. These were necessary to avoid the collapse of the nation’s grid,” it pointed out.
The TCN noted that it would continue the evacuation of generated power from the Egbin power station as soon as the station resumes power generation.
The Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, has assured Nigerians experiencing reduced electricity supply in parts of the country of a swift restoration of normal supply.
Tegbe gave the assurance in a statement made available to newsmen on Friday evening in Lagos.
He said that electricity supply would soon improve in Lagos, Abuja, Ogun and Kwara, among other affected areas, which had recently recorded noticeable improvements in power supply before the current disruptions.
The minister acknowledged the inconvenience caused to households, businesses and public institutions, saying the government understood the frustration of consumers.
“We recognise what every hour without power means for individuals, families and businesses, and we do not take it lightly,” he said.
According to him, preliminary assessments indicate that the disruptions are not caused by any major or systemic failure of the national grid.
He attributed the outages to maintenance and operational challenges within parts of the power sector, alongside reduced electricity generation caused by gas supply constraints to thermal power stations and lower water inflows into hydroelectric reservoirs.
“All of these are being addressed,” he said.
Tegbe said that the ministry was working closely with the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) and electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) to restore normal supply.
He said that he had engaged the relevant operators to resolve operational challenges, accelerate ongoing maintenance and keep consumers informed of developments.
The minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to sustaining improvements in the power sector and enhancing the reliability and quality of electricity supply nationwide.
He thanked Nigerians for their patience and understanding, promising to provide further updates as restoration efforts progressed. (NAN)
From Dan Amasingha, Minna
In a major bid to bolster renewable energy infrastructure in North-Central Nigeria, News Engineering Nigeria Limited, in partnership with India-based Mahashakti Energy, has formally declared interest in executing Niger State’s proposed 100-megawatt (MW) solar power project.
The multi-million-dollar clean energy initiative is slated to be funded by the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB).
The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of News Engineering, Lady Josephine Nwaeze, disclosed this during a strategic visit to Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago at the Niger State Liaison Office in Abuja.
Leading a joint delegation of both firms, Lady Nwaeze noted that the visit was designed to present the consortium’s technical capability, track record, and readiness to deliver the project in line with international best practices.
She praised the Bago-led administration for improving security and creating an enabling environment for private sector-driven development.
Presenting the consortium’s technical profile, Business Development Manager at News Engineering, Engr. Henry Akoji, highlighted the firm’s extensive footprint in Nigeria’s power sector. He revealed that News Engineering has successfully executed over 1,000 electrical installation projects nationwide, spanning high-voltage transmission lines, power distribution networks, and rural electrification infrastructure.
”Our renewable energy division has deployed over 100 solar mini-grid projects and distributed approximately 5,000 solar home systems across the country,” Akoji stated.
He emphasized the company’s end-to-end expertise in substation design, transmission line upgrades, project management, and technical capacity building.
Adding a global perspective, the Director of Mahashakti Energy, Ashok Kansal, highlighted his firm’s specialization in power loss reduction and sustainable grid management. Kansal pointed to successful interventions in India, where Mahashakti reduced aggregate technical and commercial (ATC) losses by 30 to 40 percent.
He assured the governor that the partnership would leverage cutting-edge technology in solar evacuation and distribution infrastructure to minimize energy losses and guarantee a stable power supply across Niger State.
Responding to the proposal, Governor Bago commended both entities for their presentation and demonstrated capacity. However, he emphasized that the state government would conduct rigorous due diligence and technical audits on their past projects before finalizing any contractual agreement.
The proposed 100MW solar initiative forms a cornerstone of Niger State’s broader strategy to bridge its energy deficit, drive industrialization, and expand electricity access.
The state government is expected to complete its technical evaluation before announcing a preferred partner for the Is isDB-backed project.
From Mike Tayese, Yenogoa
Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, has sued for patience on the ongoing installation of the state’s independent power project.
The 60-megawatt gas turbine project, which installation commenced in October this year, was earlier scheduled to be completed by December but suffered some logistical delay.
He called on people of the state to have an open mind about the project, which he said now requires a new completion date due to unforeseen challenges.
Diri, who undertook an on-the-spot-assessment of the project at Elebele in Ogbia Local Government Area on Wednesday, said like other Bayelsans, he was also disappointed that the December completion deadline could not be met.
He, however, stated that his reaction to the delay had been that of understanding rather than being angry as had been noticed, particularly on the social media.
”You can see I have gone round the whole facility. It was based on the working agreement and information available at my disposal that I gave the December date. But as it is with every human endeavor, we must all have an open mind, when it comes to issues, particularly technical matters like this.
”I am as disappointed as any other Bayelsan because I believed that we were going to celebrate the 2025 Christmas with our own independent power, but it turned out not to be so.
”I call on Bayelsans to have an open mind. These technical experts are working virtually 24 hours, but delays like this will certainly come” he stated.
The state’s helmsman implored the people to appreciate the work of the engineers, stressing that a minor mistake was capable of jeopardising the millions of dollars expended on the project.
”For 29 years Bayelsa has been in darkness or has endured epileptic power supply. Now that we are getting close to the day of liberation, some people have become impatient. Let us not behave like the proverbial tortoise in the prison for years that asked to be released immediately as the place was smelling the moment he knew it would regain freedom the next day.”
Governor Diri gave a thumps up to the technical partners, Jampur Group, and its team on ground as well as the Managing Director of the Bayelsa Electricity Company Limited, Engr. Olice Kemenanabo, saying they were working round the clock to ensure the job was completed.
”Those who have been following me on this inspection would know that work has not stopped even for one day since it started. I am sure the job is more than 90 per cent complete. So let us hold our fire.
“Engineer Olice, I am not putting you under any pressure. From the reports I have, Olice is one of the best electrical engineers in Nigeria.”
The governor, however, hinted that the government was looking at inaugurating the project during its sixth anniversary in February.
The MD of the Bayelsa Electricity Company Limited, Kemenanabo, who also spoke, said the state was on the right track towards actualising the project and assured that the alignment of the entire system, including the gas generator and alternator were on course.
He also stated that the remaining two turbines would be delivered to the project site in a few days.
Speaking on behalf of the Jampur Group, Mr. Sherrif Abu-Anif said the company was in good position to meet its own end of the bargain and appreciated the state government for playing its part very well.
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