The FGN Power Company has said 80 per cent of equipment including 10 transformers and 10 mobile substations have been delivered and deployed in the first phase of the Nigeria-Siemens Presidential Power Initiative (PPI) project.
Daily Trust recently reported that the project which targeted raising the power grid to 7,000 megawatts (additional 2,000MW) in phase 1 by 2021 failed.
However, in a statement on Wednesday, the company confirmed that phase 1 was still “underway and has recorded notable successes,” being the pilot project.
It further stated: “FGN Power Company has received delivery of about 80% of the equipment for the pilot projects, which are being deployed to critical sites across the country to improve power transmission capacity.”
- Speakership: Doguwa, two other aspirants step down for Abbas
- FEC approves $4.7bn port projects in Ondo, Lagos, Delta
Some of the sites include Apo, Ajah, Okene, Nike Lake, Kwanar Dangora, Maryland, Omouaran, Ojo, Amukpe, Ihovbor, Potiskum, Birnin Kebbi, among others.
Commenting, the Managing Director of FGN Power Company, Mr Kenny Anuwe, said the project in phase 2 will take the grid to 11,000MW and to 25,000MW with phase 3.
Anuwe said: “The successful implementation of projects under Phase 1 will culminate in the delivery of an additional 2000MW, 2 million new connections to the national grid, training of over 5000 engineers to operate the system network, and improved electricity access to millions of Nigerians.”
He blamed COVID-19 for the backlog in Siemens’ production and limited availability of manufacturing slots.
“The installation of the 60MVA Siemens power transformer at Apo Transmission Substation, Abuja was widely publicised, and it is enough evidence that the project is going and will continue to deliver upgraded and expanded electricity supply for the socio-economic benefit of Nigerians,” Anuwe said.
