FG Blames Vandals For Drop In Power Supply …From 3.710MW-2,400MW

The Federal Government, yesterday, said the sharp drop in power supply from 3,710 MW in December 2009 to the present 2,400 MW was caused by pipeline vandals.
Minister of Power, Dr Remi Babalola, said this after a meeting of the Steering Council of the National Integrated Power Project (NIPP) presided over by Acting President, Goodluck Jonathan at the State House.
Babalola told newsmen that the activities of pipeline vandals were responsible for the shortage of gas to power the 10 power stations across the country.
“The generation today is between 2,400 – 2,500 megawatts and the steady drop in power generation is a direct consequence of lack of gas for the power stations.
“Unless we resolve the issues that continue to militate against gas supply to the power stations, there is no way we can deliver more power to Nigerians.
“What that shows is that within a number of weeks, the capacity to generate close to 4,000 MW has been compromised due to the fact that we don’t have the gas to run the power plants,” he said.
Babalola said the vandals blew up the pipelines to get condensate, a valuable by-product of dry gas production.
Dry gas is used to power the thermals for power generation.
Babalola said that in the past six months, vandals had blown up the pipelines four times.
“Shell Petroleum Development Company, which control the evacuation of the condensate away from the pipelines, had repaired the lines on each occasion,” he said.
Responding to the report that Shell had threatened to shut down operations if the dump was not evacuated, Babalola said all hands were on deck to arrest the situation.
“The dump is presently filled up. Temporary arrangements are being made to get the condensate as well as other wastes evacuated from the dump.
“We have convened a meeting of all stakeholders to find a lasting solution to the problem,” he said.
Gov. Namadi Sambo of Kaduna State, who was also at the briefing, said the council resolved to establish a special corporate relationship with the media for proper information dissemination.