The Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) has unfolded plans to complete four Nigerian National Integrated Power Project (NIPPs) with 2000MegaWatts combined capacity.
The power plant projects located in Alaoji, Egbema, Omoku and Gbarain were originally awarded to Rockson Engineering Company Limited but stalled, leading to there cancellation by NDPHC.
Speaking shortly after inspection visits to the project sites, the new Executive Director, Generation, NDPHC, Engr Kassim Abdullahi, said the company is in talks with the new Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contractors to ensure speedy completion of the plants and make them available to the National Grid.
According to him, while some parts of the 1,074MWs Alaoji plant in Abia State have been completed and operational, a lot of work still needs to be carried out for its completion.
His words: “We are going to ensure that for all these power plants that are still undergoing installation, we will engage the right EPCs to make sure we complete them, have a thorough follow up on all the key open issues that these power plants have not to make them operational.
“We will employ the strategy of getting competent consultants to ensure that these projects are followed through. The aim is to make these power plants available and also ensure speedy engagement with the right government agencies for the evacuation of power from the plants.”
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Also speaking at the 378.3MW Egbema Power Plant near Owerri, Imo State and 252MW Omoku Power plant in Rivers State respectively, Engr` Abdullahi stressed the need for more work to complete the plant and bring them on-stream.
He observed that: “it looks very much like an abandoned project with so many things out of place. The reason for our visit here is to ascertain the level of job that is pending to be completed and also advise the top management on how we can quickly step in to ensure that this project is completed on time.
“This is work in progress; we have just taken back the project from our EPC contractors after a long period of delay. It is a very important plant and a lot of power stranded here at a time a lot of Nigerians need it. We want to bring in a new competent EPC that can complete the project.”
At the 252MW Power plant in Gbarain, Bayelsa State, he said the company’s in-house generation project team, was working to ensure that the remaining unit in the plant comes on stream by 2021.
“Here we are at Gbarain which is partially operational. We have seen the level of in-house intervention which we are doing through our generation project department, trying to complete the second unit. This is a job well done for the team. We are targeting to fire this unit early next year; we are on track on that.
“Overall, there are areas of improvement that we need to work hard with the team. Coming to these three power plants has given me a lot of information on how we can plan better and how we can be able to ensure that these power plants are up and running, and continuous operations for the supply of electricity to the Nigerian population.”
Also speaking, the new Executive Director, Corporate Services, Mrs Nkechi Mba, who was part of the team that inspected Alaoji, said the company was looking for new markets to sell its power.
Mrs Mba explained that the new management team of the company is determined to ensure that the company, which is the largest power company in the country, delivers on its mandate.
She said: “We are refocused and NDPHC has got to start running as a business centre. Power is a business and we intend to run it as such for the benefit of our shareholders, the states, local government and the Federal Government which have invested a lot of money for the benefit of Nigerians who need the power to explode into the potentials that we have as a country. It is part of our brief to find new markets for our product.”
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