From Uche Usim, Abuja

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) yesterday said it was planning to generate about 4,000 megawatts of power in the next 10 years to boost the supply in the country.

Chief Operating Officer, Gas and Power, NNPC, Saidu Mohammed, made the disclosure at the 2017 retreat of the Autonomous Business Unit (Gas and Power) in Kaduna. He said this would be achieved through independent power plants.

He explained that the power plants would be built in the next three to 10 years by incorporated joint venture companies that would involve NNPC, international power companies and other Nigerian investors, to be structured after the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas business model.

“Power generation is a big business. As at today, NNPC has interest in two power plants, one in Okpai, Delta State, and the other in Afam, Rivers State, which were respectively built by our joint ventures with Nigerian Agip Oil Company and Shell Petroleum Development Company. These two power plants collectively generate up to 1,000MW and they are the most reliable and cheapest source of power to the national grid in Nigeria today,” he said.

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He affirmed that plans were underway to commence Okpai Phase 2 and that other power plants like Obite and Agura would also be progressed soon to boost power in the country.

The NNPC COO noted that the new thinking involved the extension of the corporation’s major gas pipeline infrastructure into a robust network to connect various parts of the country, adding that implementation of the Ajaokuta to Abuja-Kaduna-Kano extension has progressed.

“The main base-loads to justify such infrastructure are power plants that would consume the gas and for that we are planning to build about 2,000 to 3,100 megawatts, combined, in these three cities.

“The partnership will involve players who will bring in their various capacities as operators, builders of power plants and as investors. NNPC will also bring its strength of being a dominant player in the Nigerian gas value chain,” Mohammed said.   

He stated that NNPC, as a stakeholder in the gas value chain, had developed capability in processing, transportation and marketing of gas for export and domestic use. He further added that gas resources had the potential of changing the landscape of the Nigerian economy for the better.