Nigeria’s Afam VI power plant, located in the Niger Delta, saw its output drop by about 40% to 350 MW due to transmission challenges.
The plant has the capacity to generate 650 MW of electricity but only generates at most 450 MW due to lack of adequate capacity to evacuate the entire power load.
“The reliability of the existing infrastructure also needs improvement. For example, SPDC JV’s Afam VI power plant, which has the capacity to generate up to 650 MW, only generates between 350-450 MW most of the time because the power transmission system is unable to evacuate the full output,” a document from the Shell Petroleum Development Company Ltd. (SPDC) revealed.
SPDC highlights in the document the need for a steady gas supply and payment of arrears owed to various power operators, among others.
Afam VI is the second largest contributor to the Nigerian grid, contributing about 17%.