ABUJA (Reuters) – Nigeria has shut a 504 megawatt gas power plant in the Niger Delta after the TotalEnergies declared force majeure on a gas line that was vandalised, Niger Delta Power Holding Company Limited (NDPCH) said on Monday.
The electricity firm said it was notified by TotalEnergies EP Nigeria Limited that one of its gas lines was vandalised on January 7 and could not continue supplies to Alaoji Power Plant.
Investigations to determine the extent of the damage were underway with repairs expected to start as soon as possible.
“The Management of NDPHC hereby assures our customers that Alaoji Power Plant and others will resume power generation as soon as gas supply is restored,” NDPCH spokesman Emmanuel Ojor
said in a statement.
Damage to oil and gas pipelines is common in Nigeria’s oil-producing Niger Delta with companies like TotalEnergies and Shell often blaming it on sabotage and theft.
(Reporting by Felix Onuah, writing by MacDonald Dzirutwe; Editing by David Gregorio)
