Nigeria’s electricity supply may face fresh strain following the shutdown of Egbin Power Plc, the country’s largest thermal power station, after a contractor died in a tragic underwater accident at the facility.
PLATFORM TIMES gathered that the plant, located in Lagos State, was taken off the national grid on Tuesday night after the incident, which occurred during maintenance operations inside its lagoon-based pump house.
Sources familiar with the development said the victim, a diver engaged for underwater operations, was working on a recovery task within the plant’s water intake system when he was trapped by a pump impeller that suddenly came on.
The diver, employed by Browndive Underwater Services, was reportedly attempting to retrieve or stabilise a fallen pumping machine when the equipment was unexpectedly activated.
“The diver entered the lagoon pump section for a recovery operation, but the pump came on while he was still inside. He was caught in the impeller and died instantly,” a source disclosed.
Following the incident, operations at the affected section were immediately halted, triggering a complete shutdown of the plant in line with safety protocols.
With an installed capacity of 1,320 megawatts across six generating units, Egbin contributes a significant share of electricity to the national grid, making its outage a major concern for power supply stability.
Industry insiders warned that the shutdown could worsen electricity shortages if not resolved quickly, as engineers and safety officials have commenced investigations into the cause of the accident.
Egbin Power Plc, operated under a joint venture involving Sahara Power Group and KEPCO, had yet to issue an official statement on the incident as of press time. The contracting firm also remained silent.
Meanwhile, authorities are expected to review safety procedures at the facility, amid growing concerns over the safety of contractors working in high-risk environments within critical national infrastructure.
Efforts to restore the plant to the grid were said to be ongoing, but sources indicated that full resumption of operations would depend on the outcome of safety assessments and investigations.
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