FG to deliver additional 750MW of electricity in Nov

BY Kolade Larewaju & Daniel Idonor
ABUJA — THE Federal Government is set to deliver additional 750MW of electricity to the national grid from the multi-million dollars Olorusogun Phase II National Integrated Power (NIPP) by November this year.

The Olorunsogo project worth about $600 million is in addition to other ongoing NIPPs which are Omotosho, Ondo State; Ihovbo, Edo State; Alaoje, Abia State; Egbema, Imo State; Gbaran, Bayelsa State; Calabar, Cross River State; Omoku, Rivers State; Geregu, Kogi State and Sapele, Delta State.

Speaking with newsmen after a working tour of the project, in Olorunsogo, Ogun State, Vice President Namadi Sambo said government was committed to delivering stable electricity supply to Nigerians before the end of the four years of the President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.

“In another six months from now, the entire project would be completed and have 750MW added to the national grid,” Sambo said.

He told journalists that “we have just signed a contract with Nigerians and that is why we have to ensure that we deliver power to Nigerians”, Sambo said, adding that the government of President Goodluck Jonathan was in a hurry to improve the social and economic lives of the citizenry.

“We have no time to waste to improve our social status and change the fortunes of Nigeriansreassuring the electorate of government’s commitment to delivering on their election promises.

“I want to say to Nigerians that we are not resting. And that we have done our studies and we shall deliver on our promises and not fail Nigerians”.

The vice president who expressed satisfaction over the progress of the work so far said he was pleased to note that three of the four gas turbines were already being test run.

Governor  Daniel in his remarks  said power supply was key to  national development and  lauded the president  and his vice for returning to the field after the election to fulfil their electoral promises. He said the people of Ogun State were excited about the project which he said was  already having a positive development on the axis with the ongoing development of over forty housing  estates. He also projected that it would turn around the economy of the state and improve power supply in the country.

Nuhu Wya, minister of state power explained during the inspection of the project, that the contract for the execution of the project  was signed in 2007 by the Federal Government to boost power generation in the country.

He reassured the Ogun state government of government’s commitment to ensuring that the people of the state are the primary beneficiary of the power project and  was doing everything possible to deliver stable power supply to Nigerians.

The Olorunsogo NIPP is a combined circle facility with four gas and two steam turbines designed for maximum power generation efficiency.

The minister explained that “combined circle means that the exhaust gas from the gas turbines is recovered at about 650 degree centigrade and used through the heat recovery steam generator to fire a steam turbine to generate additional power”.

The effect Wya explained “is that the exhaust heat that would otherwise be lost is recovered and used to generate additional electricity without bearing more gas”.

The process according to him increases the efficiency from about 35 per cent to 50 per cent.
Wya confirmed that three of the four gas turbines were already running saying that the 750MW will “contribute additional 20 per cent of the total power available to Nigeria. This is a significant contribution to the available 4000MW”.