Don't Miss


Home   >   Business   >   Industries   >   Energy   >   FG moves 5,000MW target to January 2015

FG moves 5,000MW target to January 2015

By on November 26, 2014

The target to generate 5,000 megawatts of electricity has been moved to January 2015 by the Federal Government.

The Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo, said the inauguration of Gbarian Power Plant, Alaoji Power Plant and Omoku Power Plant would not exceed January 2015 and promised the plants would be provided with enough gas for the generation of 5,000MW.

Government had earlier this year announced plans to generate 5,000MW power before the end of the year.

Nebo, who spoke in Abuja on Monday at the 2014 Ministerial Platform, noted that plans to accomplish the target remained unchanged.

He said, “Some people are asking about the completion of the National Integrated Power Project. I have mentioned about Alaoji, Gbarian and Omoku. I don’t think they will spill beyond January for achieving the 5,000MW because the gas is already available.”

Nebo said the ministry might declare the Transition Electricity Market in six weeks time.

He said stakeholders would meet this week “to see if it is feasible to declare TEM in the next six weeks.”

The minister further revealed that the Federal Government was in talks with different IPPs to produce additional 3,146 megawatts of electricity for Nigeria.

Nigeria currently generates less than 4,000MW of electricity for its over 160 million citizens.

Nebo said discussions were ongoing with front runner IPPs such as Zuma Energy for the generation of 1200MW from coal in Kogi State; 400MW gas-fired plant in Egbema, Imo State; 495MW gas-fired plant by Century Power in Okija, Anambra State; and Exxon/MPN to build a 100MW wind plant in Plateau State.

Others are a 100MW solar plant in Bauchi by Nigeria Solar Capital Partners; Bresson A.S’ 60MW gas-fired plant in Magboro, Ogun State; Proton Energy’s 150MW gas-fired plant in Sapele, Delta State; KVK Power Nigeria PVT Limited’s 50MW solar plant in Sokoto; and Ikot Abasi’s 250MW gas-fired power plant in Akwa Ibom, among others.

The minister said the government had identified companies that were willing to generate power, stressing that about 341.5MW of stranded power from such companies would be wheeled to the grid.

He said an action plan had been concluded to ensure steady gas supply to all NIPP plants across the country.

“This is expected to address the issues of insufficient power generation and excessive gas flaring from oil exploration in the Niger Delta region, as the 10 NIPP power plants have combined generating capacity of 5,280MW,” he said.

Nebo also disclosed government’s plan to build about 10 hydro power plants and noted that “enough work is being done to ensure that by the end of 2015, all the NIPPs and the IPPs will have enough gas.”

He reaffirmed the need for the Electricity Management Services Limited to check all electrical materials and goods at the point of delivery so as to curb the entry of sub-standard equipment.

Nebo stated that the Federal Government had tightened the process for obtaining licence for coal to power plants in order to prevent issuance of licence to unserious business concerns.

He observed that government was currently developing bankable project documents for the purpose of facilitating investment in coal to power and gave the coal blocks under consideration as Amansiodo, Okpara, Abocho, Gombe, Onyeama, Inyi and Makurdi.

 

[Punch]