Nigeria's Biggest Power Plant Collapses

… Power Generation Drops By 1, 080

SAN FRANCISCO, December 14, (THEWILL) – Nigeria’s biggest power station with an installed capacity to generate 1,320 mega watts collapsed late Tuesday afternoon, due to poor maintenance.

The collapse of the plant exposes Nigeria’s battle with obsolete and outdated critical power infrastructure. Many Nigerian homes and businesses often go for days without electricity, making government's efforts at boosting the economy a huge joke.

Government owned newswire NAN reports that Egbin Thermal Station before it went down contributed about 1, 080 mega watts of power to the national grid.

A senior official of the PHCN, who preferred anonymity, told NAN in Lagos today that all the facilities at the power station were completely shut down.

The source said that the hydro component of the power station, called the “bi-minerasation plant” and which had been poorly maintained over the years, caused the collapse of the entire station.

He said that the power station was shut down when it could no longer generate power, adding that lack of spare parts was the major challenge facing the plant.

“The failed hydro plant has been repaired several times and because the plant is obsolete, getting the spare parts has become a challenge.

“We have been managing the plant for over 30 to 40 years. When it breaks down, it takes about five days for it to come up again,’’ the source said, warning that it could take till Saturday for the plant to come back on again.

He said that PHCN officials were already in Abuja, working towards resuscitating the station.

A correspondent of NAN, who visited the station, confirmed that the station had been shut down and the workers seen idling around.