National grid gets additional 220mw from Egbin power facility

• ‘Nigeria’s economy strong, stable under Jonathan’

A MAJOR boost has been given to electricity generation in the nation following the rehabilitation programme of Egbin Power Plc on ST-06, a 220MW Steam Turbine Generator after eight years during which it was inoperable. This brings the plant back to its installed capacity of 1,320MW.

  According to the management of the company, the rehabilitated and restored Unit ST-06 brings an additional 220MW to the Nigerian National Electricity Grid and would also bolster power supply to the Lagos Metropolis thereby improving socio-economic activities in the region.
ST-06 was first commissioned in November 1987 suffered a boiler explosion during operation in 2006 due to some water tube phenomenon.

  In a statement, the Chief Executive Officer, Egbin Power Plc, Engineer Mike Uzoigwe, said: “With the unit now generating at full stream, Egbin is currently in the final stages of a bilateral agreement to supply the 220MW to Ikeja Electricity Distribution Plc (Ikeja Electric) and Eko Distribution Company, a development that is set to yield about 16% additional power supply to Lagos the nation’s commercial nerve center.

  “The transformation at the nation’s largest generation plant commenced following its acquisition by Sahara Power working through a number of Special Purpose Vehicles (SPV) in collaboration with Its technical partners, Korea Electric Corporation (KEPCO). The Sahara Power/KEPCO partnership has birthed in Egbin an unprecedented level of innovativeness, professionalism, human capital development and continuing investment in new technology.”

   He stressed that the company considers the rehabilitation of ST Unit 6 to be a major breakthrough, noting that huge resources were deployed into achieving a complete tear down overhaul of the unit.

  Uzoigwe noted that in spite of the fact that the electricity market in Nigeria was not yet bankable, “Egbin has in collaboration with KEPCO continued to achieve laudable feats for the benefit of this country.” 

   He disclosed that KEPCO had begun the overhaul of unit ST-04 as Egbin continues its quest to ensure Egbin operates in compliance with globally acclaimed standards.

“When we took over Egbin Power Plant in November 2013 there was a sworn declaration to deploy all of our available resources required to transform the plant into a centre of excellence. We are happy that this is being achieved through the expertise of our staff and KEPCO and we are delighted to say we are on course towards achieving our object of being a foremost power generation plant in Africa,” he said.

  KEPCO’s Mr. Gyoo Yeom explained that the “unfolding plan for Egbin was aimed at replicating the success KEPCO is renowned for in the global power sector in Nigeria.”

  Yeom said Egbin has in its sights on “further expansion of the plant as the new management continues to embark on achieving its vision of attaining 2, 670 megawatts (MW) by 2017 and total capacity of over 10, 000mw in the next decade, if the demand permits.”

  Appealing for support as the reforms in the sector unfold, he added: “We are here to work with our partners in Egbin to ensure we build a future where uninterrupted and sustainable power supply is obtainable in Nigeria.

  “Ongoing exchange programmes to Korea aimed at growing local capacity for Egbin staff have since commenced as the company seeks to enhance its human capital capacity for enhanced performance.”

  Meanwhile, a group, the Nigeria Posterity Project, has stated that in spite of the challenges arising from the dwindling global oil prices, Nigeria’s economy remains strong and stable under President Goodluck Jonathan,

  The non-governmental organization said its findings were based on empirical research into the Nigerian economy between 2010 and 2014.

  In a statement by its national coordinator, Louis Ebodaghe, in Abuja, the group which comprises intellectuals, economists and social activists said Nigeria’s economy has turned out to be the best and biggest in Africa, beating South Africa to second position.

  The group added: “That without being political, statistics have shown that PresidentJonathan has developed the economy, raising the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to seven per cent  per annum in the past six years, the highest in sub-Saharan Africa so far.

   “Nigeria’s economy is now ranked 26th in the world and insisted that these figures were obtained from the World Bank record.

   “Foreign direct investments in the first six months of 2014 stood at $9.7 billion. The regime’s automotive policy has injected fresh ideas and vibrancy into Nigeria’s automotive sector.

 “The industry which has been moribund for 20 years has bounced back to life with Nissan, Hyundai, Kia, Peugeot and Stallion Motors assembling their products locally in Nigeria, while the innovation of Innonson Motors is manufacturing quality vehicles locally. These have created jobs and boosted the Nigerian economy tremendously.

   “The President’s Agric Transformational Agenda (ATA) has revolutionized the sector leading to increase in food production and the reduction of food importation by 45% as at the end of 2014

   “There was only one world class rice mill in the country by 2012, but by 2014 it increased to 24 world class rice mills across the country.”

  The group commended the administration’s Sugar Backward Integration policy which is now in place and targeted to make Nigeria become self-sufficient in its production in less than 10years.

  It also said that the government’s cassava expansion project has turned around the fortunes of famers, pointing out that “Nigeria at the moment is the second world largest exporter of cassava pellets and world largest exporter of cassava to China while cassava flour is now supplementing wheat flour in local confectionaries.”

  The group believes that Jonathan’s administration should be encouraged in order to sustain this growth and take Nigeria out of the woods in the shortest possible time.