Nigeria can’t generate 7,000MW due to gas shortage – Osinbajo laments
– Nigeria can’t generate 7,000 megawatts of electricity due to lack of gas
– The federal government is aware of the challenges and working hard to achieve sustainable energy supply in the country
Despite Nigeria’s enormous natural gas reserves the country does not have enough gas to fire power plants to generate up to 7,000 megawatts (MW) of electricity.
The sad news was made known by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the Nigerian Association for Energy Economics (NAEE) and the International Association for Energy Economics (IAEE) annual international conference in Abuja, on Monday.
READ ALSO: 8 electricity materials that have been banned in Nigeria
Mr Osinbajo, who was represented by his senior special assistant, Chiedu Ugbo, said: “In fact, it is an irony, that we do not have sufficient gas to fire our power plants up to 7,000MW, yet in energy industry circles, Nigeria is described as more of a gas territory than an oil territory.”
Despite there are over 12,500MW of installed electricity generating capacity, consisting of gas thermal and hydropower plants, less than 4,000MW of electricity were distributed to consumers across the country over the past few weeks.
The vice-president enumerated an inadequate investment on gas facilities, gas flaring, inadequate gas infrastructure and vandalism as some of the reasons that caused the existing shortage.
READ ALSO: Three factors that prove Buhari’s change is for the worst
He said: “We have limited gas molecules to supply to the power plants. This is a result of many years of under-investment in gas gathering and processing for domestic consumption and also many years of gas flaring. Nigeria alone flares about half of the 40 billion cubic meters of associated gas estimated to be flared in Africa annually.”
He also assured that the federal government is fully aware of the current situation and is determined to achieve sustainable energy supply in the country as soon as possible.
“We are working tirelessly towards resolving the gas-to-power challenge, ensuring that the needed investment will be made in gas gathering and processing for domestic consumption especially for power plants and at the same time working to ensure sustainability of supply of existing gas volumes.”
More deatils at Vanguard.
The post Nigeria can’t generate 7,000MW due to gas shortage – Osinbajo laments appeared first on Nigeria News today & Breaking news | Read on NAIJ.COM.