Barring last minute default, all is set for the resumption of power generation at the multibillion naira Afam Thermal Power Plant in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The delivery will lead to incremental electricity supply as it will deliver 340 Megawatts (MWs) of electricity to the National Grid.
Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola disclosed this in Afam in the Oyigbo Local Government Area of the State recently, saying work on the 240MW capacity Afam III Plant has reached advanced stages and the burnt transformer for the 100MW Afam 1V completely repaired.
The two power heads will add a combined 340MW energy to the national grid before the end of the year depending on the availability gas to fire them.
In an interview during a media tour of the facility, the Minister said all of the turbines and equipment needed for the completion of Afam III were already in the country, but the current challenge include provision of access roads and logistics.
While assuring that the burnt transformer that would evacuate the 100MW from Afam 1V had been repaired and in good condition with the turbine, Fashola noted that Government has been working at the Plants in the past 17 to 18 months to restore the place back to its optimum capacity, expressed delight at the progress of work.
He noted that “That is part of our Incremental Power Initiative”, assuring that “What we have behind us is the Afam III and that is the Fast Power programme in collaboration with General Electric to restore 240MW to that place. All of the turbines and equipment needed for that project is already in Nigeria. So the only challenge we have now is roads, logistics and a few other problems; those are the things I have come to assess here”.
According to him, “Afam 1V, is the only surviving generation unit”, Fashola, who said the surviving Generation units 17 and 18 have a combined output of 100MW, added, however, that the power could not be evacuated due to the damaged transformer which, according to him, got burnt in January 2015”.
“That was what was handed over to the Buhari government. So we have worked, we have restored and we have replaced the transformer and it is ready to go”, Fashola stated.
