Rivers govt's N13.44b Omoku IPP for commissioning,June

By Hector Igbikiowubo
Tuesday, February 17, 2004

...80% of the state to enjoy uninterrupted power

THE Rivers State Government is set to commission the 6x25 MW Omoku Gas Turbine Power Station valued at $96

million (about N13.44 billion) in June this year as part of its efforts to ensure uninterrupted power supply to the state and attract investors.


The Rivers State Government has also served notice that 80 per cent of the state will enjoy uninterrupted power supply by October when the ongoing

construction of the 132/33KV Transmission Line Network traversing the state, comes on stream. In a brief on the state’s Independent Power Plants (IPP)

project, the state Commissioner for Power, Mr. A.S. Oyaghiri disclosed that the switch gear for the Omoku Power Station is200MW, adding that due to

monetary constraints, the initial installed capacity will be 100MW. He said: “An additional 25 MW unit will be installed by October 2004, while another

25MW unit will be installed in 2005 bringing its total capacity to 150 MW power station. The commissioner pointed out that it is important to note that the

Trans-Amadi and Omoku Power stations are being constructed by an indigenous engineering firm - Rockson Engineering Limited. A visit to the site

revealed that the civil engineering works had reached advanced stage, while the technical engineering crew is set to commence installation. The Omoku

IPP which qualifies as the largest power generation plant in the state, is expected to export 150MW of electricity to the state grid with facilities to

synchronise with that of the National Electric Power Authority (NEPA). The Rivers State governor, Dr. Peter Odili, had earlier served notice that the state

expects to sell power produced from the Omoku power station to neighbouring states of the federation. It is also expected that feed-gas for the Omoku

Power station will come from the neighbouring Agip plant where gas is currently flared. To evacuate the power produced by the Omoku Power station,

the state government is also constructing a 132/33KV Transmission Line Network over a total of 197Km to evacuate power from the Omoku Power

Station through 6 (six) injection sub-stations to various parts of the state.It was disclosed that the transmission line will transverse Ndoni-Obrikom-

Ahoada-Eleme-Isiokpo-Emohua-Rumuokoro-Obio/Akpor-Port Harcourt-Alesa Eleme, Bera-Tai-Yegha- Bori-Kaa/Abua-Degema-Abonnema. As the

132KV terminates at Kaa, the 33KV Sub-MarinePower Transmission Lines will take off from that point to supply power to the riverine LGAs of

Opobo/Nkoro,Andoni and Bonny.The Commissioner for Power, said: “ This project isalready at an advanced stage and will be ready by the third quarter

of 2004 when the Omoku Station would have been ready.“It is envisaged that by the end of 2004, about 80 percent of the state will be enjoying

uninterruptedelectricity supply either through overheadtransmission lines or sub-marine power transmission lines.” The commissioner further disclosed that

theRivers State Government is embarking on a joint venture arrangement with Rockson Engineering Limited and Manning Industries of USA to construct

700 megawatts units power station at Okoloma, a community thatis situated 6Km from Afam in Rivers State. The Rivers State Government’s contribution

in this joint venture arrangement is the provision of land and settlement of communal issues as well as lending government support to the success of the

project. It would be recalled that the Rivers State IPP was embarked upon by the administration of Dr. Peter Odili in 1999, to find apermanent solution to

the electricity problem affecting Rivers State in particular and the Federal Republic of Nigeria in general.