Geometric Power, Nigeria’s foremost integrated electricity group, has suffered its first blackout in 60 days.
The blackout started at 4.33 am, according to Edise Ekong, the Senior Brand and Communication Manager of Aba Power Electricity Company Ltd, the distribution subsidiary of the group.
Ekong, in a statement in Aba early this morning, attributed the power failure to a lack of gas supply from the Geometric Power business partner, Heirs Energies, operator of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd (NNPL) joint venture with Heirs Energies on the Oil Mining Lease (OML) 17 at Owaza in Ukwa West Local Government Area (LGA) of Abia State.
“We are sorry that our customers in nine of the 17 LGAs in Abia we serve faithfully to both local and international acclaim, have been without light since 4.33 am because of what Heirs Energies calls a facility trip”, Ekong stated.
“We are working relentlessly with our gas suppliers to restore electricity to the Aba Ring-fenced Area”.
On why Geometric Power is not receiving power from the national grid as a backup, as it does anytime there has been a gas shortage, the communications manager explained that the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has just completed a new substation dedicated to his firm, but added that it has yet to be commissioned.
TCN engineers have been testing the new substation since the construction was completed, he added.
“Our engineers who have been with them for several hours are expecting the commissioning to take place anytime from now because of the urgency of the situation in Aba and the environs, which play a major role in the Nigerian economy”.
Aba is a leader in domestic manufacturing in Nigeria, as it hosts both indigenous and multinational firms.
Meanwhile, experts have been lauding Aba Power, Nigeria’s 12th electricity distribution company (DisCo), for being the first firm in Nigeria to supply constant and quality power for two months.
