Olorunsogo ll power station not commissioned by Obasanjo, says NDPHC

THE Niger Delta Power Holding Company Limited (NDPHC), owners of the National Integrated Power Project (NIPP), has refuted some online reports (not The Guradian) that the newly commissioned 750 mega watts (mw) Olorunsogo ll Power Plant was inaugurated by former President, Olusegun Obasanjo.

A statement issued by NDPHC’s General Manager, Communication and Public Relations, Yakubu Lawal stated that the completion and commissioning of the phase II Olorunsogo plant was another manifestation of President Goodluck Jonathan’s commitment to deliver on his promises to complete inherited projects.

    Lawal explained that the “phase II is a combined circle plant consisting of 4No GE made Gas turbines, 4No Heat Recovery Steam Generators and 2no Steam turbine units each turbine unit of 125MW capacity. The power plant thus has the capacity to generate 750 MW, a positive development over the phase I plant commissioned by Obasanjo regime, which has 8 turbine units each of 42MW with a total of 335MW.

   “While the Olorunsogo II project was built by the NIPP (as a joint investment of the three tiers of governments of Nigeria) the Olorunsogo I project was basically a Federal Government project. Both projects were built by SEPCO III of China under distinct and separate contracts. The two power plants sit adjacent to one another but on defined and distinct survey coordinates. They can be accessed by any investigative journalist or indeed any inquisitive person seeking accurate unbiased information at any time.” 

  Lawal said that the NIPP was conceived in 2004 by President Obasanjo as a major fast-track initiative to add significant new capacities in generation, transmission and distribution  to Nigeria’s electricity supply chain but that Jonathan commitment first as the steering Chairman of NIPP and later  pioneering Chairman, Board of directors of NDPHC actually gave life to the success stories. 

   The efforts of the two leaders (one former and the current) should be complimented rather than used as a basis to cause unnecessary debates with the intention to cause disrepute and undue rancor. The NIPP will not be used as a tool for such deceit. 

According to him, the commissioning of Olorunsogo ll power plant will increase power available to the national grid and further enhance the gradually improving power supply situation in the country.