The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Niger Delta Power Holding Company Plc (NDPHC), Mr Chiedu Ugbo has disclosed that the Nigeria Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) owed the company over N100 billion for power generated and put on the national grid.
Mr Ugbo disclosed this at a 2-Day capacity building workshop for Power Correspondents Association of Nigeria (PCAN) on Wednesday in Calabar, Cross River State.
He noted that “the company has been operating its existing plants, completing those still under construction and intervening in transmission and distribution through its internally generated revenue. In spite of this, the Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) is owing NDPHC over ₦100 billion”.
Ugbo said, despite the huge debt, the company has continued to perform its mandate of bridging the electricity gap in the country because of strong board and investment in the system.
The NDPHC boss further disclosed that the company’s tariff was the cheapest among thermal companies even though they all buy gas at the same price in the market.
He however, said, the company has diversified into renewable energy, adding that aside the 20,000 home units that it installed, there were plans to add another 100,000 units across the country.
He said, the company was ready to deliver power to the underserved and unserved population in Nigeria through its diversified power generation strategy.
He noted that the NDPHC, being primarily a generation company, also intervenes very seriously in both transmission and distribution segments of the power sector. “In addition, we are also a socially responsible company through our corporate social responsibility (CSR) projects”, he added.
The MD said, so far, the company has completed several projects across the 774 local government areas, especially distribution substations, but some are not in use because of some bottlenecks.
“NDPHC has generation capacity of 4047,4MW (ISO) -about 84% completed of expected delivery with the last three (3) ongoing.
“Transmission upgrade of about 9,220MVA, which means strengthening, making the grid more stable and reliable to take additional 7,376MW.
“Distribution upgrade of about 5,214MVA and for distribution of about 4,271MW thereby improving quality of power to consumer”, Ugbo said.
He implored the Media to join the company in appealing to every Nigerian and every community where it has installations to regard those projects as theirs and so, protect them from theft and vandalism.
“Within the last one year we have witnessed some setbacks through such actions when gas pipelines were damaged and also recently when high tension towers were pulled down and parts carted away in River State”, he lamented.
Recall, the National Integrated Power Project (NIPP) was conceived in 2004 and developed to address the issues of insufficient electric power generation and excessive gas flaring from oil exploration in the Niger Delta region.
The ten thermal plants that were designed include: Ihovbor Power Station Benin, Edo State; Calabar Power Station, Cross River State; Egbema Power Station, Imo State; Gbarain Power Station, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.
Others are Sapele Power Station, Delta State; Omoku Power Station, Rivers State; Alaoji Power Station, Abia State, combined cycle plant; Omotosho II Power Station, Ondo State; Olorunsogo II Power Station, Ogun State, combined cycle plant; Geregu II Power Station, Kogi State.
