The Managing Director of the Niger Delta Power Holding Company, Chiedu Ugbo has assured that the company has initiated a number of distribution projects within Cross River State to ensure that power generated from its 625MW power plant is not idle.
Speaking during a facility tour of the plant by the minister of power, Adebayo Adelabu, Mr. Ugbo disclosed that the company commenced a project called End to End Bilateral to ensure 24/7 electricity, adding that to address the transmission challenge in Cross River State, a new line to evacuate power from the Calabar plant to Ikom and Obudu, as well as two substations, are under construction.
“Our main business is generation but we don’t want the power plant to be idle, we want electricity to go out, so we go out to do end-to-end bilateral,” he informed.
“Few years ago, I started a project called End to End Bilateral with the PHED to serve Paradise City and other areas to make sure we have 24/7 electricity and we are on it.
“The line from here to Adiabo Transmission substation was built by us; it’s a dedicated line to Calabar where we can serve directly.
“At the Adiabo substation, we expanded it by putting 2 by 60 MVA transformers and handed it over to the transmission company to operate.
“We are taking transmission all the way from Abakaliki to Ikom and Obudu and also building a substation in both locations as well and work is in progress.”
According to him, the Calabar plant, which has five gas turbines, is the only plant in its portfolio that has firm gas commitment.
Earlier the Minister of Power Adebayo Adelabu commended the management of the company for proper maintenance of the plant, promising to work with the NDPHC to ensure it makes maximum use of its generating capabilities.
The minister, who assured of a new, more effective way of delivering on the mandate of the power ministry, stressed the need for productivity so as to meet the expectations of President Tinubu.
He said the federal government is using power to drive up other sectors of the economy and called on all stakeholders to rise to the occasion.
