BY JACINTA HYCENTH
The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has revealed that the average available generation capacity across the grid-connected
plants increased by 69.99MW (+1.32%) from the 5,296.89MW recorded in quarter four of 2024 to 5,366.88MW in quarter one of 2025.
According to NERC in its Quarterly Report of First Quarter 2025, there were twenty eight (28) grid-connected power plants consisting of, five (5) hydro,
two (2) steam, nineteen (19) OCGT2
and two (2) CCGT3
plants for this quarter.
Out of the 28 grid-connected power plant, fifteen (15) power plants recorded increased available generation capacities in 2025/Q1 compared to 2024/Q4.
The report under review disclosed that average hourly generation on the grid
in 2025/Q1 was 4,770.59MWh/h, which translates to a total generation of 10,304.47GWh. While the average hourly generation of the grid-connected power plants increased by 563.18MWh/h (+13.39%) from 4,207.41MWh/h in 2024/Q4, the total electricity generated in the quarter also increased by 1,014.52GWh (+10.92%)4 from
9,289.95GWh in 2024/Q4.
NERC said the increase in energy
generation during the quarter can be attributed to the increase in
available generation capacity as well as the increase in energy offtake
by the grid-connected customers (including DisCos) compared to
2024/Q4.
On grid performance, NERC reported that during the first quarter, the average lower daily 49.28Hz and average upper daily 50.77Hz system frequencies were outside the normal operating limits 49.75Hz – 50.25Hz but remained within
the lower and higher bound stress limits 48.75Hz – 51.25Hz. The
average lower daily system voltage 296.56kV and the average
upper daily system voltage 346.82kV were outside the lower 313.50kV and upper 346.50kV limits specified in the grid code.
The Commission noted that its has continued to push the System Operator (SO) to improve its system coordination activities to avert the system risk posed by the continuous operation of the grid outside the normal operating limits.
“There was no incidence of system disturbance on the National Grid in 2025/Q1,” the report revealed.
On Energy offtake performance, the Commission said in 2025/Q1, the average energy offtake by DisCos at their trading points was 3,781.94MWh/h which represents an increase of 421.17MWh/h (+12.53%) compared to the average offtake recorded in 2024/Q4 (3,360.77MWh/h).
Cumulatively, DisCos recorded an overall offtake performance of 97.94% – the available Partially Contracted Capacity (PCC) during the quarter was 3,861.53MWh/h.