PHCN, NIPP Target 6873MW In 2013.

Successor companies of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria and the National Independent Power Project have indicated plans to generate 6,873 megawatts of on-grid electricity for distribution across Nigeria by the end of 2013. The Chief Executive Officer of Egbin Power Plant,Lagos, Mike Uzoigwe, disclosed this in Abuja Friday during the performance agreement signing ceremony involving the Minister of State for Power, Hajiya Zainab Kuchi, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Dr. Dere Awosika and chief executive officers of parastatals in the ministry. Uzoigwe said the successor companies of PHCN will generate 3,879MW while the National Independent Power Project and Independent Power Producers will generate the extra 2500MW, which will bring available capacity on the national grid to 6,873MW by the end of 2013. He said the target was part of the outcome of the meeting between Kuchi, the Presidential Task Force on Power and the CEOs of all the PHCN successor companies that reviewed the capability and performance of all generation stations. "Some of the NIPP units have been fully commissioned but cannot run due to gas supply associated problems. The Geregu power plants still experience gas shortage," added Uzoigwe. While commenting on the ministry's efforts at resolving the labour crisis that has been a snag on the privatisation of the company, the minister noted that the ministry would adopt an alternative measure to address the issue. She said: "In terms of labour issues, I will not say we are absolutely on top of it but we are very focused. We are very focused and we are about taking an alternative measure in order to ensure that we finalise that. "With the unbundling of the PHCN, we need to resolve this. And by the end of March, we will finally go solo in terms of Discos and Gencos contracting. BPE is trying to finalise and resolve labour issues. We are focused on this." The minister also noted that the performance agreement implementation would be monitored to ensure success but that the issue of sanction will not be necessary unless it becomes absolutely unavoidable. Speaking on behalf of the electricity distribution companies, the CEO of Ikeja Distribution Company, Mr. Chris Akanmou said that the companies on Thursday came up with some indicators for the actualisation of adequate power distribution as regards President Goodluck Jonathan'a economic agenda. He said: "By the end of next year, there would have been an achievement of universal metering of power. Some of the indicators are that there will be immediate replacement of dead equipment especially transformers. We are committed to the replacement of any dead equipment especially the transformers." Also, the CEO of Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Company, Rumundaka Wonodi said 41 companies had come forward to discuss with his organisation, adding that NBET was close to signing its first Power Purchase Agreement. According to him, the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission has already issued certificates of no objection to the deals, "which are now being reviewed by the Attorney General of the Federation." He also noted that by the end of next year, the negotiations would have resulted in projects that could yield 2000MW of electricity from gas and 1000MW from coal.