The indebtedness of the power sector to the Niger Delta Power Holding Company is now over N100bn, the Managing Director, NDPHC, Chiedu Ogbo, said on Wednesday.
NDPHC, a company that is jointly owned by the federal, state and Local Governments, is saddled with the task of managing the National Integrated Power Projects, which consist of 10 power plants in various locations across the country.
The 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.
In his address at the 2022 seminar for power correspondents, Ugbo revealed also that the NDPHC had diversified into renewable energy, as it had installed 20,000 solar home units and plans to add another 100,000 units across the country.
He said, “It should be 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 is owing NDPHC over N100bn. Again, our tariff is the cheapest among thermal companies even though we all buy gas at the same price in the market.”
He outlined the 10 thermal plants that were designed under the NIP to include the 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, a combined cycle plant; Omotosho II Power Station, Ondo State; Olorunsogo II Power Station, Ogun State, a combined cycle plant; and Geregu II Power Station, Kogi State.