Contractors handling the National Integrated Power Projects across the country have called on the presidential task force on power to urgently intervene on the challenges delaying most of their projects.
Engr. Ismaila Saliu, General Project Manager, O.T. Otis Engineering, representing Engr. Otis Anyaeji, Chairman of the Electricity Power Foundation, in a presentation at the 2nd WorldStage National Electricity Power Conference at the Lagoon Restaurant, Victoria Island, Lagos, said the task force should impress it on various security agencies to remove “road blocks” against movement of imported NIPP equipment from the ports and to the various project sites.
He said they should assist in stopping the auctioning of imported NIPP equipment; intervene in site issues with state and local governments; assist in facilitating the processes of finalization of GSPAs with gas suppliers; assist in finalization of capital guarantees for gas supplies to enable suppliers invest in gas sourcing and production; assist in obtaining necessary approvals to enable discos speedily strengthen overloaded 33kV lines; assist in obtaining necessary approvals for TCN to speedily provide 33 kV bays at their transmitting stations.
He said contractors were experiencing delay in delivery of equipment to project sites, time slippages, higher project costs while there is still non availability of power to Nigerians.
Some projects where he said they were experiencing loss of revenue and idle capacity include Sapele: 115 MW; Olorunsogo: 375MW; Calabar: 5 GT Units of 112.5 MW each (562.5 MW); Alaoji: 4 GT units of 126 MW each (504 MW); Ihovbor: 112.5 x4 (450 MW).
He assured that NIPP power plants would add 4,802.5MW to the nation’s installed generation capacity if the challenges currently faced were tackled, adding: “NIPP power plants will enhance electricity transmission and distribution. The previous open transmission loop will be closed, and the distribution network will be strengthened.
“Total of 2,677.70 circuit km line length (1,737.7km of 330KV lines and 940km of 132KV lines) will be added to the National Grid.
“Host communities within 5 km radius of NIPP Power Plants will be provided with electricity.
“NIPP will restore basic system integrity and make the Nigerian economy more attractive to local and foreign private sector investors.
“Small businesses that have hitherto been chocked to death can come alive again. Big manufacturers that have relocated elsewhere will be attracted back.”
Meanwhile, the President, National Association of Chambers of Commerce Industry Mines and Agriculture, Dr. Herbert Ajayi, has expressed hope that with the government efforts at fixing the power sector in Nigeria, very soon power will not be a thing to think about every minute, but to be taken for granted as in other countries.
Herbert, the Chairman at the Second WorldStage National Electricity Power Conference, 2012, urged Nigerians to cooperate with appropriate authorities to ensure that power works, adding that consumers must also learn to have maintenance culture, “consumers must imbibe the habit of taking light off when they don’t need it and learn to conserve whatever they have.”
Herbert said Nigerians need electricity not only by quantity but quality and at affordable rate, and appealed to investors to invest in the sector, noting that the present administration seemed to have done much better than the previous ones in power sector.
The chairman further explained that what matters most in any undertaking are not just the good intentions or plans, but the performance, noting that Nigerians are anxiously waiting to see the performance of energy sector, as power issue is a great challenge that the country must get over.
He said the country must find an answer on how other countries are making progress in the power sector.
The NACCIMA boss commended Word Stage Limited for being the organizer of the power conference, noting that what attracted him most about the conference was the theme, “Electricity Power Reforms and Investment: The last Hurdle”, adding that to be brave and bold enough for the organizer to say “this is the last hurdle they were discussing, it is very important enough to applaud the organiser.”
He pointed out that if everything that was discussed at the event were properly put together and forwarded to the government, the minister of power will expect that justice had been done to the theme of the conference and some of the information provided would be of tremendous help to the power sector.
“We would be asking WorldStage to plan some other things very soon , so that we can come back again and review whether indeed we have been able to get over the last hurdle because I believe 2012 is a year of hope and is a year of achievement.” he said.