The Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) says it has commenced restoration of the 225-megawatt Gbarain National Integrated Power Project (NIPP) in Bayelsa, targeting improved electricity supply nationwide. 

The NDPHC officially handed the plant to Original Equipment Manufacturer, Schneider Electric/TILT Energy, for immediate rehabilitation after issuing the notice to proceed. 

Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the NDPHC, Jennifer Adighije, confirmed the development in a statement issued on Sunday in Lagos. 

Ms Adighije described the project as a major milestone in recovering stranded generation assets, expanding electricity capacity and strengthening power supply to the national grid.

She led the handover alongside the executive director of generation at the NDPHC, Abdullahi Kassim, and other senior management officials during the official site transfer. 

According to Ms Adighije, the power plant has remained idle since November 2020 after a devastating fire destroyed its power control module before commissioning. 

She said all statutory approvals had been secured, while technical, contractual and administrative obstacles that had been delaying the project had now been resolved. 

“Rehabilitation work has now begun and is expected to be completed within 12 months,” Ms Adighije said. 

She praised the project team for overcoming years of delays and urged contractors, consultants and stakeholders to work together to meet delivery deadlines. 

“NDPHC will maintain zero tolerance for delays,” she said, adding that timely completion would improve generation, grid stability and electricity reliability.

Ms Adighije said the rehabilitation aligned with the NDPHC’s broader strategy of maximising existing power assets while supporting the federal government’s electricity improvement agenda. 

She said the company had intensified efforts to recover stranded and underutilised generation assets through rehabilitation, operational optimisation and strategic investments. 

According to her, the restored 225MW plant will boost electricity generation, strengthen energy security and support industrial growth and wider economic development. 

She added that the project would further advance the NDPHC’s mandate to maximise investments under the NIPP. 

The Gbarain power plant is among the gas-fired stations developed under the NIPP to bridge Nigeria’s electricity deficit through investments in generation, transmission, and distribution. 

The general manager of generation projects, Ginsau Idris, said extensive fire damage to the power control module made complete replacement unavoidable. 

Mr Idris expressed confidence that contractors and consultants would complete the rehabilitation within the approved project schedule. 

Also, Mr Kassim described the November 2020 fire as a major setback because it occurred only months before the plant was scheduled for commissioning. 

He commended Ms Adighije’s leadership for reviving the long-delayed project and driving it toward implementation after years of inactivity.

Mr Kassim disclosed that access roads and support buildings were under construction, describing the Gbarain plant as a strategic national asset because of nearby gas resources.

Schneider Electric/TILT Energy and its Nigerian technical partner pledged to accelerate implementation, expressing confidence that the work could be completed within or before the 12-month target.

The managing director of TILT Energy Limited, Deji Awodeji, assured stakeholders that the rehabilitation would meet schedule without compromising quality, safety or international engineering standards.

(NAN)