Egbin Power station shot down

Nigeria’s biggest power generating plant, the Egbin Thermal Station, has been shut down creating a 1,080 Mega Watts drop in power generation in the country.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the station was shut down on Tuesday around 3.50 p.m.

A senior official of the PHCN, who preferred anonymity, told NAN in Lagos on Wednesday 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“The failed hydro plant has been repaired several times and because the plant is obsolete, getting the spare parts has become a challenge.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.

He said that PHCN officials were already in Abuja, working towards resuscitating the station but Saturday, December 17, 2011, is the earliest date by which the plant will be functional.

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