Nigeria’s electricity output is expected to increase due to the Federal Government’s connection of the 700-megawatt Zungeru Hydroelectric Power Plant to the national grid. In Nigeria, the second-largest hydroelectric power station is the 700MW Zungeru Hydroelectric Power Plant in Niger State, after the 760MW Kainji Power Plant.
Abubakar Aliyu, the Minister of Power, and Goddy Jedy-Agba, the Minister of State for Power, made the announcement during a send-off event on Thursday night in Abuja that was sponsored by representatives of the power industry.
According to the minister-
“I want to say that today (Thursday) the Zungeru Hydroelectric Power Plant has become a reality. We have today joined the grid with 700MW. The testing started last night and information has reached us, with a pictorial view of the meters showing that the 700MW has gone on the grid.
He further stated-
“Recall that the last two weeks we were there together with members of the National Assembly, including the Chairman, Senate Committee on Power. We all visited the site and we are now putting power on the grid”.
The minister declared that the Kashimbila hydroelectric project, a collaboration between the federal ministries of power and water resources, was also finished.
Aliyu said that the scheme was still in progress when asked about the Siemens energy project for Nigeria under the Presidential Power Initiative.
He added-
“As soon as I became the power minister, we met the President of Siemens and had a discussion with them to bring in equipment. As I am talking to you now, we have installed some transformers and they are in service.
“We are installing one in Ajah, Lagos, and we have just brought in the mobile substation, which is very massive, about 10 of them, being cleared at the ports. The first one has been cleared and is already in Ajah substation.”
cc: Punch Ng
