NDPHC: Eligible Customer Framework Key to Power Sector’s Improvement

NDPHC: Eligible Customer Framework Key to Power Sector’s Improvement

By Peter Uzoho

The Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) has said the Eligible Customer framework in the nation’s power sector was key to the improvement of the sector.

It noted that the company was working to improve power supply to Nigerians through the initiative.

A statement by the Head of Communication and Public Relations, NDPHC, Mrs. Olufunke Nwankwo, quoted the company’s Executive Director, Generation, Mr. Kassim Abdullahi, to have stated this recently during his inspection of the company’s Calabar Power Plant in Odukpani, Cross River State.

Abdullahi described the Eligible Customer framework as one of the key relieves for the power sector in Nigeria, adding that most of the power stations in NDPHC today were limited in their operations because of the dispatch challenges.

He said: “We are hardly doing the full capacity because of grid constraints but with the eligible customers framework we are able to commence some serious drive and engagements with willing buyers of our power.

“Calabar is one of the Plants where we have bilateral agreement with Togo, with a PPA to supply about 70MW and also there are on-going discussions with other potential customers in Calabar like the Paradise City, where they are willing to off-take 100MW.

“This is the way to go, we are working tirelessly in getting more eligible customers to ensure that these available stranded power that we have in most of the power stations are dispatched.”

He explained that the Calabar plant, which is wholly owned by NDPHC under the National Integrated Power Programme (NIPP) programme, has five units (Gas Turbines) with a total designed capacity of about 600 Mega Watts.

Abdullahi, who was accompanied on the visit by some of the company’s top management team, described the plant as one of the best amongst NDPHC plants with uninterruptible gas availability and a good dispatch network.

He said the company already has a power purchase agreement to supply 70MW of power to West African nation- Togo from the power plant and are in discussion to supply another 100MW to Paradise City in Calabar.

“Calabar is one of our best power stations under NDPHC and is one of the power stations with good gas supply, where we have a GSA with ACCU Gas. The Power Station also has a good dispatch network and some eligible customers as well,” he explained.

According to him, the inspection was part of the routine maintenance done by the NDPHC on all its power stations, pointing out that, “Calabar is currently running two units. In the morning, it was three units that were available and on the grid but because of the instability and some frequency controls, we had to go down with one unit.”

“The other two units are undergoing routine maintenance on the transformer lube oil system and also a Boroscope inspection on the engines.

“Calabar is doing very well. We have gas, we have good network for dispatch. It is one of the best.”

He said when all the units are firing, Calabar power plant has a total capacity of 560MW available power for dispatch.

Also speaking, the Chief Operating Officer of Calabar Power Plant, Mr. Oyewale Olugbenga John, noted that the plant has remained the best through the support of NDPHC management and the good operation and maintenance team at the plant.

“Even though, there are lots of challenges, we are able to surmount them because of the cooperation between them and us.

“With the experience we have gained over time from other power plants, we are able to keep the plant going because of the existing cooperation in the O&M team,” John said.

He thanked the company’s management for supporting the team, saying, “each time we want something from them they quickly get it to us and allow us to progress.”

He disclosed that at the time of the inspection when two units were working, the plant was sending 225MW to the national grid due to frequency control.

Related Articles