The Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) has announced a significant drop in electricity generation following a complete shutdown at Egbin Power Station.
NISO in a statement signed by its management on Thursday, said this triggered emergency load shedding across the country, particularly within the Lagos region.
The system operator said Egbin Power Station, which is the largest electricity generating plant on the national grid and a major contributor to daily power supply in Nigeria, experienced a major operational disturbance at about 8:21 p.m. on 28 April.
It said the power station recorded a complete loss of generation, dropping from approximately 641MW to zero output.
NISO attributed the incident to a failure of the plant’s central compressor, alongside a malfunction of the circulating water pump system, which necessitated an emergency shutdown of all units.
READ ALSO: NISO, WAPP intensify technical coordination ahead phase II regional grid synchronisation
“In addition, power supply to the Lagos region is currently restricted due to the forced outage of the Osogbo–Ikeja West 330kV line, further constraining the delivery of available generation into the Lagos load centre,” NISO said.
Consequently, it said the loss of generation has created a significant supply shortfall, necessitating immediate load shedding measures to maintain grid stability and prevent a wider system disturbance.
“System operators have since activated contingency measures, adjusted load allocation across distribution companies with priority to critical infrastructure, and are optimising available generation from other power plants to mitigate the impact.
“We acknowledge the inconvenience this situation has caused electricity consumers, especially within Lagos and surrounding areas, and we assure the public that all relevant stakeholders are working closely to resolve the situation as soon as possible,” the statement said.
