1,200MW may be lost to uncompleted power projects

The current poor supply of electricity in the country may be further compounded with the loss of 1,200 megawatts this year if the contractor handling three key National Integrated Power Projects fails to meet the stipulated completion target of the third quarter of the year, the Presidential Task Force on Power has said.

Although the PTFP had given marching orders to the contractor, Rockson Engineering Limited, it explained that unless the projects were inaugurated and put into commercial use, the target of 6,000MW electricity generation by December this year might not be realised.

The Chairman, PTFP, Mr. Beks Dagogo-Jack, had on Tuesday held a meeting with the contractor executing critical generation and transmission projects located in the eastern axis of the national gas grid for the NIPP.

Dagogo-Jack said the meeting focused on three power generation projects located at Alaoji in Abia State, Omoku in Rivers State, and Gbarain in Bayelsa State.

He noted that a major transmission project, which provides the key evacuation corridor for wheeling power from the plants to connect to the national grid at Onitsha, was also being handled by the same contractor.

Dagogo-Jack said, “Accordingly, unless these projects are inaugurated and put into commercial operations by the end of quarter three of this year, we shall suffer a serious shortfall in our power supply projections by as much as 1,200MW.

“This will significantly impact our set national on-grid supply target threshold of 6,000MW by December 2014.”

He explained to the contractor the critical importance of the projects to the overall power growth projections of the Federal Government.

The PTFP chairman said while there were acute gas constraints in the western axis of the gas grid, there were currently some appreciable gas volumes on the eastern axis awaiting the completion of the eastern power plants.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government on Wednesday ruled out the possibility of extending the deadline for the completion of the 215MW Kaduna thermal power plant beyond the end of the year.

Vice President Namadi Sambo ruled out the possibility at a meeting he held with stakeholders at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

According to a statement by his spokesman, Mr. Umar Sani, Sambo directed all those involved in the project to work hard to ensure that it was inaugurated by the end of the year as planned.

He also rejected a request for variation of optional items outside the scope of work and urged the Ministry of Power to conclude the arrangement for the plant’s fuel storage tank.

The vice president directed Rockson Engineering, one of the companies in the consortium, to provide records of procurements for the plant and schedule of deliveries.

PUNCHNG