…Gas-related challenges responsible for reduced generation — EEDC
Ike Nnachi, Abakaliki
Ahead of the yuletide season, residents and businesses across Nigeria’s South-East are grappling with a sharp decline in electricity supply, Ikengaonline has learnt.
Findings show that areas that previously enjoyed between 20 and 24 hours of power supply now experience prolonged outages, a development that has disrupted household activities and business operations, especially for enterprises dependent on public electricity.
In Abakaliki, a businesswoman, Chika Ezeora, said she has been forced to spend significantly more on fuel to power generators due to the reduced supply.
“This is the yuletide season, when demand for our products increases and we need steady power to produce. Without adequate electricity, we may not be able to meet demand, and that means losing money,” she said.
Ezeora, who is engaged in footwear production, urged the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company Plc (EEDC) to urgently take steps to restore optimal supply to customers.
Responding to the complaints, EEDC attributed the situation to gas-related challenges affecting electricity generation nationwide.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Group Head, Corporate Communications of EEDC, Emeka Ezeh, explained that the decline in power availability resulted from low system frequency caused by gas constraints at Generation Companies (GenCos).
According to the distribution company, the development compelled the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) to implement load shedding on the national grid.
The development has significantly reduced the energy allocated to EEDC, thereby affecting the daily level of electricity supply to customers served by our subsidiary distribution companies—MainPower, TransPower, FirstPower, NewEra and EastLand—across the South-East.
EEDC noted that critical stakeholders in the electricity supply industry are working to resolve the challenges and restore normal power distribution as soon as possible.
The company apologized to its customers for the inconvenience caused by the power cuts and appealed for patience and understanding while efforts are being made to stabilize the system.
