Zungeru Hydropower Plant Reaches 47% Completion, Says Chinese Contractor

Alex Enumah in Abuja

CNEEC-Sinohydro Consortium, the Chinese firm handling the Zungeru 700mw hydroelectric power plant, wednesday disclosed that work on the project had reached 47 per cent completion.

Deputy Project Manager of the company, Xiao Nie, made the disclosure yesterday while speaking with journalists who were on tour to the project site in Zungeru.

Nie also said that the $1.29 billion about N473 billion project, is expected to be completed in 2020.

The project which was started in 2013 consists of four units of 175 mw each, and while the first phase he said would be released by December 2019, the remaining are to be released after every three months.

Nice added that though the initial date for the completion was 2019 but due to delays occasioned by unresolved community issues, the project would now be completed in 2020.

“The project consists of a dam for storage reservoir comprising an embankment and a Roller Compacted concrete gravity section, a gated concrete spillway with appropriate dissipating structure.

“A main power intake structure, a four-unit out-door-type power house, an electrical substation, 332KV double circuit transmission line to the Shiroro-Jebba line, and a 132KV double circuit transmission line to Tegina Substation.
“Zungeru reservoir has a maximum operation water level of 230m, and total storage capacity of 11.4×109m3,” he said.
The zungeru hydroelectric plant when completed is expected to generate 700MW, with annual power generation of 2,640GWh.

The plant is also expected to generate and supply electricity to the national grid.
Some of the benefits include improvement of standards of living of host communities as well as boost electricity supply across the country.

Nie said: “It will also be helpful for the flood control, the development of fisheries and agriculture. The navigable period and the length of the fairway will also be extended.”

He said the consortium had employed more than 3,000 local staff members in addition to organising various skills acquisition programmes for the youth.

“The consortium has as at 2016 been able to engage around 4,626 participants in its security special training programme, consisting of organised welders, signal workers, gantry crane hand training 17 times.

“With an encouraging 153 of the local staff having been issued qualification certificates, all leading to a large number of skilled personnel. So far, up to 116 people have passed the special types of personnel,” he said.