Peter Uzoho
The Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) has announced plan to collaborate with the Federal Ministry of Water Resources to enable it build small and medium hydro power plants in the country, particularly in the north.
This is just as the company also disclosed that the construction work on the 330/132/33KV sub-station project in Lafia, Nasarawa State, has been completed and the project due for inauguration soon.
The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of NDPHC, Mr. Chiedu Ugbo, disclosed the planned building of small hydro power plants when he led the company’s management team on a courtesy visit to the Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu, recently.
NDPHC, in a statement by its Head, Communication and Public Relations, Olufunke Nwankwo, quoted Ugbo, to have explained during his meeting with Adamu that the company was looking at setting up small hydro plants on existing dams in the country, especially those in the northern part of the country.
“We are here to pay you a courtesy visit and at the same time let you know what our programmes are with regards to renewable so that we can start discussing with your ministry in earnest on how we can develop small hydro resources around the country, preferably, in the northern part of the country because of the quality of electricity in the area,” Ugbo said.
He noted that though the company has 10 power generation plants with eight linked to the national grid and with about 4,099 megawatts, most were located in the southern part of the country and we’re unable to generate optimally due to poor transmission and distribution infrastructure.
According to him, “We have 4,099MW but not all are taken in the grid due to systemic problems. If you check today, we have 500-700MW on the grid. That is not to say our machines are bad, it is because of transmission and distribution challenges.
“In those areas too, NDPHC has done significant work. We pride ourselves as having invested about 50 percent of the transmission assets in the country. We have invested heavily in transmission and distribution assets all over the country, in every state.”
He added that the company had also invested in solar home systems, noting that it started from not just underserved but un-served communities.
Ugbo said in the course of those investments, NDPHC did 20,000 in the first phase, which called ‘Beyond the Grid Programme’, and that it started the second phase in Kazuare Emirate in Bauchi State with 100,000 connections.
“But having developed our thermal plants reasonably, we thought it is time to move to the next phase of our project development and that phase is where after optimising gas resources, we have to optimise other resources we have for power generation.
“In renewable energy, we are working on solar, not just stand alone but also mini-grid and on utility scale, that is on one side. We also thought that part of the programme is the hydroelectric and the best way to start it is the dams,” he added.
Also, NDPHC in another statement at the weekend, signed by its Spokesman, Olufunke Nwankwo, disclosed that construction work on the 330/132/33KV sub-station project in Lafia, Nasarawa State, has been completed, with the project due for inauguration soon.
The statement quoted the Executive Director, Networks, NDPHC, Mr. IfeOluwa Oyedele, to have disclosed this when he inspected the project recently.
