NDPHC to complete 2,000 MW Power Stations in Abia, Imo, Bayelsa

NDPHC to complete 2,000 MW Power Stations in Abia, Imo, Bayelsa

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

The Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) has disclosed that it will expedite work on four power plants located in Alaoji, Egbema, Omoku and Gbarain with a combined capacity of about 2,000 megawatts of power to boost national supply.

The company jointly owned by the federal, state and local governments, noted that some of the projects were delayed due to the cancellation of the contracts by NDPHC to the contractor that was handling it.

New Executive Director, Generation, NDPHC, Mr. Kassim Abdullahi, who spoke during an inspection visit, said the company was making efforts to engage new Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contractors to complete the plants and make them available to the national grid.

“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 evacuation of power from the plants,” he stated.

He added: “We have gone round to see the condition of the parts for the completion of the steam turbine; we have taken note of some of the quick fix we need to work on quickly. So I believe that in the next few months, we will see a lot in the progress of this project.”

In Egbema, Imo State, he revealed that the NDPHC had just taken back the project from its EPC contractors after a long period of delay, lamenting that a lot power was stranded there at a time a lot of Nigerians need it.

He, however, commended the company handling the gas receiving station for keeping it prepared and ready for the power plant.

Speaking on the state of 252MW Omoku power plant in Rivers State, the ED said the company needs to quickly come back to site to ensure that the project is completed.

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 plant comes on stream next year.

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.

Mba explained that the new management team of the company was determined to ensure that the company, which is largest power company in the country, delivers on its mandate.

Also, NDPHC, Head Generation Projects, Mr. Mohammed Sa’adu who gave a breakdown of the status of the four plants, noted that getting competent EPC contractors to complete the projects is a priority.

Sa’adu explained: “The Egbema Power plant is a three gas fired plant units designed to output 378.3MW ISO to the national grid. This contract was initially awarded in 2006 to our erstwhile contractor, Rockson Engineering Company Limited which unfortunately up to this moment, the contract could not be executed to its design output. The board of NIPP has directed a termination of that particular contract at the end of 2019.

“We have four power plants that were being built by Rockson Engineering. This one in Egbema, there is a 252MW power plant in Omoku, 30km away from here, and then there is another 252MW plant in Gbarain Obie, Bayelsa State, as well as the 1,074MW Alaoji Power plant”.

“Alaoji and Gbarain are in operation being that parts of them have been completed by the former contractor and they put them into national grid but we are yet to complete them to scope,” he said..

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