NDDC And China Plan 7000 Mega Watts Regional Power Project In Niger Delta

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Managing Director; Mr Nsima Ekere on Monday in Port Harcourt, disclosed in a statement issued by the commission’s Director of Corporate Affairs; Ibitoye Abosede, that the commission had a discussion recently with a Chinese firm; SINOTEC, to establish a regional power pool project in the Niger Delta.

The commission’s Executive Director, Projects; Dr. Samuel Adjogbe, who represented the Managing Director at the meeting with the officials of SINOTEC said, the project was designed to stimulate industrial growth of the region.

Ekere said the commission is fully focused on diversifying the region’s economy from its over-reliance on oil and gas for survival. And that on completion of the project; 7000 megawatts of electricity would be produced from 18 power stations spread across the region.

He said: “We have looked at some indicators and it is obvious that the power requirement for industrial growth in the region is not available.

“So, we need to make deliberate efforts to set up projects that can boost power and attract investors to the region.

“NDDC is interested in setting up the regional power pool to help provide adequate power that would be subsidised for the industrial parks planned for the nine states of the region.

“The power pool arrangement would benefit all Niger Delta people.”

Ekere also added that, the feasibility study for the project has been concluded across the Niger Delta states. The next stage he stated, would be to prepare the actual design for the project and produce the agreement, spelling out conditions and terms of engagement.

He urged the Chinese firm to work out details including funding requirements which should be presented to the commission on Feb. 6.

Also at the meeting was the Managing Director of Income Electrik and consultant to NDDC; Mathew Edevbie. According to Edevbie; the project aimed “to harness cheap, abundant, reliable and available power in the region’’.

Edevbie noted that aside the 7000 megawatts the 18 power stations would generate, industrial parks would also be built in each of the Senatorial districts in the region.

Mr Bu Songo, General Manager SINOTEC, responded saying; there was the need for a Public-Private Partnership for the development of the power plant in the region.

He stated the importance of international funding to the success of the execution of the project. He added that SINOTEC had experience in power generation, transmission and contract financing.