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Yar'Adua Flags Off $250m Aba Power Plant Project
By Idahosa Asowata
Leadership, Abuja
October 28, 2007
Geometric Power Limited (GPL), one of the independent power providers recently granted licences by the fedeal government, has concluded arrangements to commence construction work at its site in Aba, Abia State, on November 1, 2007.
The groundbreaking ceremony to which President Umaru Yar'Adua has been invited will culminate in the erection of a gas-fired electricity generating turbine to supply power to industrial and residential consumers in the city of Aba and its environs.
While Yar'Adua is expected to grace the occasion, the governor of Abia State, Chief Theodore Orji, will serve as the chief host of the epoch-making event, which is the brainchild of Professor Bartholomew Nnaji, a former minister of science and technology.
GPL is constructing a 140 megawatts Aba Independent Power Plant project at Osisioma with turbines from General Electric, four new substations, more than 100 kilometres of new 33 KiloVolt distribution lines and refurbishment of the existing PHCN distribution network for the city of Aba and its environs, to help tackle the issue of power generation and distribution in the country.
The Aba Independent Power project is scheduled to flag off on Thursday, November 1, 2007, at the project site in Osisioma, Aba, sequel to an ongoing project that had commenced four years ago.
Nnaji, a former federal minister, William Kepler Whiteford professor of engineering and distinguished professor of mechanical and industrial engineering and recently appointed member of National Energy Council by Yar'Adua, is the president of GPL group that is joined by Mr. Paul Nickson, formerly of the World Bank, as vice-president, while Engr. Ben Caven, erstwhile executive director of the National Electric Power Authority (now Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN) is the chief technical adviser.
GPL was, late last year, granted two licences for its companies Geometric Power Aba Limited (GPAL) and Aba Power Limited (APL) to engage in the business of electricity generation and electricity distribution; the company had demonstrated ability in the power industry with a 2003 successful US$10 million 22 megawatts running on 15 megawatts independent power plant project in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory.
The Aba IPP is a $250 million project totally funded by private sector investment, coming from the International Finance Corporation (IFC) of the World Bank group, European Investment Bank (EIB), the World Bank Carbon Fund, Frontier Market Fund Managers (FMFM), African Finance Corporation (AFC), as well as prominent Nigerian banks led by Diamond Bank and Stanbic Bank.