NERC issues licence to Ibom Power for 685mw plant
The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory
Commission (NERC) has issued an
amended licence to the Akwa Ibom State
government, promoter of Ibom Power
Plant, to increase its generating capacity
from 190 megawatts to 685megawatts.
The power plant currently supplied
190mw to the national grid.
Receiving the licence on behalf of the
State and the company’s management,
Governor Emmanuel Udom was enthused
by the near absence of bureaucracy and
the speed with which the application to
increase the generating capacity was
treated by the Commission.
Udom said: “Ibom is one of the first
independent power project in the
country. This achievement did not come
as an accident. It is because the previous
administrations in the state invested
heavily in this sector.
“This is not a power plant that would
have gas supply challenge. We have set
up a gas processing plant that is
supplying gas to the adjoin power plants.
We would soon come for an embedded
generation licence that would supply
power to our industrial estates” to be
established along the coastal line, Udom
said.
The Governor appealed to the
Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN)
to improve its network ahead of the
completion of the expanded power plant
as he disclosed that the state government
has invested $22million on transmission
networks and that it would be a wasted
investment if there would be no
corresponding investment in
transmission line by TCN to
evacuate the generated power.
Speaking earlier, NERC Chairman, Dr.
Sam Amadi said: “We are strict about
our licensing procedure. That we are
here today is an indication that the state
and management of Ibom Power Plant
have fulfilled those conditions.
They are not new to the process, they
have done this before and they have
shown they are equal to the task.”
“Akwa Ibom is a front runner in this
respect and they have shown good
example of public-private partnership.
We would give you all necessary
assistance to achieve this,” Amadi said
adding that the Commission expects
more investments in the power sector
from the state.
Ibom Power is a state government
owned gas fired power plant that was
licensed on May 12, 2008 to operate a
190megawatts plant. The company on
December 19, 2014 submitted an
application to amend its licence to
685mw.
That application was approved on
October 27, 2015.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner Legal and
Licensing and Enforcement, Dr. Steven
Andzenge said that the Commission has
issued 126 licences withcombined
capacity for 35, 314mw of on-grid;
428.12mw off-grid and 298mw
embedded power generations.
NERC Chairman, Dr. Sam Amadi below
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