The Nigerian Independent System Operator, NISO, has said that the current decline in electricity generation on the national grid is due to constraints in gas supply to thermal power plants and reduced output from hydroelectric power stations.
NISO made this disclosure in a statement on Thursday amid widespread electricity shortages across the country.
According to NISO, limited gas availability has constrained the capacity of affected thermal generating stations to operate at their available levels, while reduced water inflows into reservoirs have affected the generation capacity of hydroelectric power stations.
It further explained that the reduction in available electricity generation has affected the volume of power allocated to Distribution Companies, DisCos, for onward supply to consumers. This has resulted in shorter hours of electricity supply and increased load shedding across distribution networks, with the level of impact varying according to available generation and the corresponding allocations to individual DisCos.
"NISO acknowledges the impact of the current generation shortfall on electricity consumers nationwide and appreciates the concerns expressed by members of the public and other stakeholders.
"While we are actively working on the diversification of our energy mix for the national grid to ensure security of supply, NISO remains committed to maintaining grid stability, optimising the dispatch of available generation, and ensuring the secure, reliable and efficient operation of the national grid within prevailing operational constraints," NISO stated.
National Grid: NISO explains cause of reduced power supply nationwide