Mambilla power project to be ready in 6 years

IN a bid to expand the amount of power generated to the grid, the Federal Government (FG) has disclosed that the newly approved Mambilla Hydropower plant project will be completed in six years.

It said the Mambilla project upon completion, would generate and add 3050 Megawatts to the national grid.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Power, Works and Housing, Louis Edozien, made the disclosure at a meeting of line route, environmental and social impact assessment study for the second Ikeja west-Sakete transmission line in Abuja at the weekend.

He explained that although more power plants are connected to the grid, putting the current transmission figure at 7000MW but noted that the distribution network has not been able to take the entire load.

His words: “we currently have more power plants connected to the grid and if we combine all the energy they generate, it would add up to 7000MW. On the other hand, if you add all the energy the Discos can take, it sums up to 4,600MWs. This has been difficult to explain to Nigerians considering the fact that what they need is more than 7,000MW.

“To satisfy that need, we need to improve investments in Discos, the industry regulator Nerc is currently assessing the Distribution investment requirements.”

According to him, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Generation Companies (GenCos) as well as the Distribution Companies (DisCos) are making efforts towards expansion.

He, however stressed the need for regional market to strengthen expansion drive.

“Now that the TCN and Gencos are ahead of the Discos, we will ensure it becomes a norm. For the power supply value chain to be sustained the trading arrangements must be respected and adhered to,” he added.

On his part, the Managing Director, Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Mr Usman Gur Mohammed said the company seeks to expand the grid to about 20,000 megawatts capacity in the next three years.

“TCN is working very hard to see that it stabilize the grid line by ensuring that we transfer adequate power,” he said.

He noted that the TCN was no longer the weakest link in the power value chain, adding however, that it is fast tracking the implementation of several transmission projects supported by the government.

Also, he noted that the second Ikeja west 330kv transmission line was imperative as demand for more power from the grid has increased .

“This so, considering the fact that TCN has archive some remarkable stability following the implementation of the free governor control response action which has heightened  the prospect of the interconnection of Nigerian grid with that of neighbouring countries.

“TCN has come out with the expansion program and the Federal Ministry of power and  Finance has supported and this expansion program has also been endorsed by several donors and some the projects have gone far in the implementation,” he added.