Minister of power Adebayo Adelabu has decried the abandonment of the nation’s electricity grid by bulk electricity users such as industries.
Adelabu said on Thursday at the board retreat of the Nigeria Electricity Liability Management Company in Lagos that bulk electricity consumers are now opting for captive power plants which he said is more expensive.
He regretted that despite generating a record 5,155MW, it is not being taken up.
He said, “The majority of bulk electricity users, such as industries, are off the grid due to lack of trust and confidence in the past.
“They now have their own captive power plants in their industries which is more expensive.”
Explaining further, the minister said, “The average cost of producing captive power is about N350 to N400 per kilowatt-hour for those connected to gas lines. For diesel, it’s about N950 while petrol is about N550.”
He stated that efforts would be made to encourage such bulk users to return to the grid.
“Once consumers and industries see the trust, the confidence and the stability we are giving, they would be encouraged and reconnect to the grid for a cheaper source of power.
“We aim to attain the threshold of a new era in power delivery with a target of 6 gigawatts by the end of December 2024, in the short term, and the Federal Government is still focused on Vision 30-30-30. By 2030, we aim to achieve 30GW in the medium term, with renewable energy constituting 30 per cent and universal access in the long term. We must align on the principles guiding our activities and the strategies driving our progress,” he added.
