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ALSCON to transfer 360MW electricity to national grid

By on August 20, 2013

The Aluminium Smelter Company of Nigeria has said it will transfer 360MW of electricity to the national grid as part of its support for the development of the nation’s power sector.

The company, which said Nigeria currently occupied the 39th position among the world’s biggest economies, lamented the country’s 70th place in terms of power generation.

The Director, Public Relations/Government Relations Department, RUSAL Aluminium, Ms. Tatyana Smirnova, said on Saturday in Uyo that the country’s peak power generation of 4,000MW was a far cry from the 40,000MW nationwide demand.

She stated that the company, by hooking up to the national grid, apart from helping the country to combat its power generation shortage, would also assist the firm to keep its production afloat in time of gas supply outages or as a measure to guide against gas pipeline vandalism.

She said, “We are in the process of connecting ALSCON to the national grid.

“The demand for power in Nigeria is estimated to be around 40,000MW, while the existing volume is only 4,000MW.

“This means the demand for power in the country is far ahead of available supply. In spite of this, Nigeria holds the 39th place as one of the biggest economies in the world. But the country occupies the 70th place in the world in terms of power generation. Connecting ALSCON to the national grid offers a win-win situation, both for the company and for the Federal Government.

“In case of gas supply outages, the plant will be able to receive emergency power from the grid in order to sustain its production. This is the main goal,  a win-win situation.”

Smirnova stated that the ALSCON power plant would evacuate up to 360MW of electricity to the national grid before the start-up of aluminium production.

She added that the company was ready to evacuate 100MW of electricity supply immediately to the grid.

Smirnova said that the ALSCON project of connecting to national grid was a practical demonstration of its support for the government’s power sector development.

On the issue of loss in production, she explained that it was only the availability of the second gas pipeline that would enable ALSCON to develop the plant and drastically reduce the risks of production losses.

 

 

[Punch]