NNPC intervenes in Maiduguri power crisis with 50MW emergency project

By Ben Eguzozie & Onome Amuge

• China’s CMEC, America’s GE sign contract

• City challenged by power disruptions by insurgents

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) made a significant step towards redeeming its promise to intervene in the perennial electric power supply challenge in Maiduguri, Borno State, with the execution of the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) and equipment procurement contracts for a 50 megawatts (MW) emergency power project in the state capital.

The project has China Machinery Engineering Company (CMEC) as the EPC contractor, while General Electric (GE), an American global conglomerate, is the equipment manufacturer. NNPC said the project is an integral part of ongoing efforts to deepen the corporation’s domestic gas utilization plan for the nation’s socio-economic growth.

Garba Deen Muhammad, group general manager, group public affairs division, NNPC, said in a statement that the project  is an integral part of ongoing efforts to intensify the corporation’s domestic gas utilization plan to enhance the nation’s socio-economic growth.

Mele Kyari, the group managing director of NNPC, explained that the corporation through its subsidiary, NNPC Gas and Power Investment Company (NGPIC), decided to intervene in the Maiduguri power situation by undertaking the project which will be fired with liquefied natural gas (LNG) and run commercially.

Maiduguri, the Borno State capital has been in perennial power outages from facilities disruptions by the Boko Haram insurgents. Several times, the insurgents have destroyed electricity pylons bringing power to the state capital. Several towns and villages in the state have been without electricity for several years as a result of activities of the insurgents.

Kyari said the national oil company, as a state-owned oil company and enabler organization, was determined to boost power generation and supply to Nigerian homes through increased investment in gas-fired combined cycle power plants to produce at least 5 gigawatts (GW) additional power for the country.

“NNPC is therefore seeking the cooperation of all stakeholders, especially GE and CMEC to ensure timely delivery of the single cycle by December 2021 and the combined cycle by first quarter of 2022,” Kyari said.

Raisin Brice, vice president of GE Africa & Europe, said the company was committed to working with NNPC to achieve success in the Maiduguri emergency power project, noting that GE would be tapping into its vast experience in the country to deliver on the project.

Similar support and commitment were echoed by Fang Yanshui, president of CMEC, the main EPC contractor for the project.

As a mark of confidence in the corporation, the contractors have commenced movement of vital equipment to site, and started work on the project ahead of the formal contract signing.