KEY POINTS
- Egbin Power Plc has shut down operations after a contractor died during underwater repairs.
- The diver, affiliated with Browndive Underwater Services, was killed when a pump unexpectedly powered on inside the lagoon water system.
- The 1,320-megawatt plant has been disconnected from the national grid since April 28 for safety assessments.
Egbin Power Plc, one of Nigeria’s largest electricity generators, has shut down operations after a contracted diver died during underwater repairs at the plant. The 1,320-megawatt facility has gone offline since April 28, leaving the national grid down a major source.
Felix Ofulue, the company’s head of corporate affairs, confirmed the development on Thursday in a statement to the News Agency of Nigeria. He extended condolences to the family of the deceased contractor and said the company has activated its emergency response, safety and reporting protocols.
How the accident happened
Specifically, a source familiar with the development said the contractor was carrying out specialized underwater work at the plant’s pump house. The assignment involved retrieving or stabilizing a submerged pumping machine.
However, the equipment unexpectedly powered on while the diver was still inside the restricted zone. The impeller, the rotating component that drives water through the pump, did the rest.
“The diver went in to carry out a recovery operation inside the lagoon water pump system. Unfortunately, the pump came on unexpectedly and he was trapped and killed by the impeller,” the source said. The deceased contractor worked with Browndive Underwater Services, a firm that handles complex underwater industrial operations across Nigeria’s oil, gas and maritime sectors.
Plant offline since Tuesday
Following the incident, operations at the affected section halted immediately, leading to a broader shutdown of the facility for safety checks and assessment. Engineers and safety officials have been combing the plant since the accident, with no firm restart date in sight.
“Since April 28, the plant has remained offline and disconnected from the national grid as engineers and safety officials conduct detailed assessments,” the source added.
Furthermore, Ofulue said Egbin Power is cooperating with the relevant authorities to determine what went wrong. A formal review is currently underway. “Immediately following the incident, we activated established emergency response, safety, and reporting protocols and promptly notified the relevant authorities,” Ofulue said.
A bigger blow to the grid
Notably, Egbin’s 1,320 megawatts make the plant a major contributor to the national grid. Its prolonged absence reduces overall supply at a moment when Nigeria’s power sector is already wrestling with financing strains, distribution losses and unreliable gas supply. Every megawatt counts.
Additionally, the company reiterated its commitment to the health, safety and well-being of all personnel and contractors. Ofulue said the firm aims to maintain the highest standards across its operations.
Meanwhile, regulators are likely to scrutinize whether the lockout-tagout procedures, which prevent equipment from energizing during maintenance, properly worked at the time of the accident. The findings will determine both legal liability and the timeline for restart.
With the plant offline and the national grid down a major source, Nigerian electricity consumers may feel the pinch in the days ahead. The investigation will likely set a precedent for how Nigeria’s power sector handles contractor safety in increasingly complex maintenance work. The cost of getting it wrong is now in plain view.
