The federal government has commissioned Austrian technology group Andritz to upgrade the Jebba hydroelectric power plant on the Niger River.

Nigerian company Mainstream Energy Solutions recently selected Andritz to implement this project in Kwara State.

The contract valued at $36 million (€30 million) is slated to begin in 2024. The upgrade is expected to repower the hydro plant and boost Nigeria’s energy production.

The Jebba hydroelectric power plant, originally commissioned in 1985, is equipped with six fixed blade propeller-type turbines with a generating capacity of 96.4MW, putting its total capacity at 578.4MW.

Five of the units have been available for power generation but the sixth has been out of operation since a fire incident in April 2009.

The plant was created for multiple purposes such as power generation, flood control and, in theory, navigation.

The upgrade is supposed to extend equipment longevity up to 40 years, and improve the frequency of voltage regulation with the national grid code.

Andritz will supply and service the entire electro-mechanical and hydro-mechanical equipment for unit 2G6, including a 96.4MW turbine, a 103MVA generator, transformer, outdoor switchyard and accessory equipment and the intake gate.

While Nigeria generates most of its electricity from gas-fired power plants, output from hydropower plants accounts for about 30 percent of total power generation.