Electricity generation companies (GenCos) have said they might be forced to
shutdown their plants nationwide over a ‘new policy’ of the Nigerian Bulk Electricity
Trading Plc (NBET).
The Association of Power Generation Companies (APGC) at a press conference
in Abuja, claimed that the NBET had demanded from the GenCos a 0.75 percent
administrative charge for gas as a prerequisite to accessing a N600 billion
Federal Government intervention fund.
The GenCos however, rejected the alleged fee, arguing that there was no
policy directive to that effect by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory
Commission (NERC).
The Executive Secretary of APGC, Joy Ogaji, said the move might lead to the
shutdown of power supply by GenCos, who had unanimously agreed to “call the
bluff of NBET.”
Ogaji said: “The situation is truly grave and completely unprecedented as
NBET has completely shed its role as a licensee of the industry and taken on
some sorts of regulatory role.
She stressed that “If NBET’s excesses are not checked and the N600 billion
fund is not release in time, whether we deliberately shut down or not, the
machine would shut down. Gas suppliers have stopped giving gas to some of the
GenCos.
Ogaji recalled that the electric bulk buying firm was introduced into the
market as a service provider with a mandate of making the generation business
viable, but alleged that it had since abdicated its role.
She urged government to revert to the Market Operator (MO) while the NBET
focuses on engagements with new entrants or prospective power project developers.
