Pipeline fire shuts down gas supply to 6 stations

The power ministry has called for understanding as work goes on to restore the national grid, after a fire on January 2 on Escravos Lagos Piepline system near Okada in Edo state forced the shutdown of lines supplying gas to six different power stations.

The Nigerian Gas Processing and Transportation Company reported the fire on January 2, saying it would need to shut down supply to power stations including:

• ·        Egbin 1,320MW;
• ·        Olorunsogo NIPP 676MW,
• ·        Olorunsogo 338MW,
• ·        Omotosho NIPP 450MW,
• ·        Omotosho 338 MW and
• ·        Paras 60MW power stations.

The fall in generation following interrupted supply from the six stations triggered a grid trip off around 8pm on January 2, the federal power ministry said in a statement.

Most of Nigeria’s power generation is from thermal power stations that require gas for fuel.

The gas is produced by oil and gas companies overseen by the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, and delivered to the power stations through pipelines owned and operated by Nigerian Gas Processing and Transportation Company, a subsidiary of Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC).

The ministry said the Transmission Company of Nigeria and the generation companies were working to restore operations of the national grid.

Output from hydroelectric power stations and unaffected gas-fired stations are expected to increase once the grid is restored.