The Federal Government has announced plans to reconnect the Aluminium Smelting Company of Nigeria (ALSCON) in Ikot Abasi, Akwa Ibom State, to the national grid, in a move expected to unlock 540 megawatts of power when the facility becomes fully operational.

Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, disclosed this during a working visit to the plant on Monday, a statement by the minister’s media aide, Bolaji Tunji, said on Tuesday.

He said the revival of ALSCON was a strategic step in the country’s industrial and energy plans, describing the facility as an asset whose potential had remained largely untapped for decades due to poor electricity supply.

Adelabu said discussions with key stakeholders, including the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) and the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC), had produced short- and medium-term strategies for restoring power to the smelter.

“We have made very good progress. The short-term solution to reconnect this plant to the grid has been determined, and we have also agreed on the medium-term plan,” he said. “But the most important outcome is that this company can contribute 540 MW of power to the national grid once fully operational.”

According to Adelabu, ALSCON’s installed capacity consists of six turbines, each capable of generating 90 MW.

He explained that all six turbines remain in functional condition and that work on the 330/132 kV substation and transmission line linking Ikot Ekpene to Ikot Abasi would enable full evacuation of power to the national grid.

“There is even the potential to expand this to 660 MW by upgrading the turbines,” the minister said.

He also noted that the Federal Government would oversee the completion of the substation and related infrastructure within 90 days as part of efforts to restore the company’s operations.

Adelabu said the revitalisation of ALSCON would support the government’s target of expanding electricity access by 2030 under its Vision 2030 framework.

He emphasised that full operations at the plant would not only strengthen national power supply but also provide employment for up to 15,000 people and boost local aluminium production, thereby reducing import dependence.

Addressing the issue of gas supply, the minister said pricing reforms and improved coordination with suppliers could resolve the problem.

ALSCON’s Development Adviser, Viacheslav Krylov, said plans were underway to reach full production capacity of 200,000 metric tonnes within six years, stressing that a stable and high-volume power supply was central to the company’s revival.

“The current energy options are inadequate to restart the plant,” Krylov said. “We appeal for a dedicated backup power supply and improved grid connection to ensure operational stability.”

Established in 1989 but completed nearly a decade later, ALSCON has remained largely inactive since privatisation in 2006, when it was acquired by the Aluminium Smelting Company of Russia.

The government’s renewed focus on the plant signals a broader effort to revive dormant industrial assets and strengthen Nigeria’s manufacturing and energy base.