Electricity generation capacity to hit 10,000MW by December

Minister of State for Power, Mrs. Zainab Kuchi

The Federal Government through the Minister of State for Power, Mrs. Zainab Kuchi has promised that it would achieve 10,000 Megawatts of electricity generation by December 2013.

Kuchi while presenting a report before the Presidential Action Committee on Power in Abuja said the government was going to hit 10,000 Megawatts by December, adding that presently power generation stood at 6,442MW but by the end of this year, things would turn around in the power sector.

It could be recalled that former president Olusegun Obasanjo promised to hit the 10,000MW capacity target, but today the present administration has lifted it up to 6,442MW, the generated capacity was much less when the present administration came into power.

Factors like inadequate gas, evacuation capacity, and breakdown in facilities are among the impediments of power generation capacity in the country.

The Minister said, the government was prepared to diversify its energy sources to reach the rural dwellers in order to stimulate development, job creation, and investment in the sector this year.

“The ministry will also focus on developing new policy initiatives to address post privatisation challenges,” she said.

Adding, Kuchi said the federal government has brought on board transaction advisers to mediate for the development of small and medium hydro power projects, which he said a hydro power plant would be ready this year; worth 40MW.

She disclosed that a wind farm with a generation capacity of 10MW, located in Katsina was ready and will be commissioned soon.

In addition, now that the transmission companies are ready, all arrangements have been completed to source money from the African Development Bank (ADB) to finance transmission in the country, she said.

She said power transmission in the country has already achieved the completion of 21km of 132KV of transmission line, 330KV transmission line, and 600MVA 330/132/33KV substation capacity.