The Federal Government is anticipating 1,268 megawatts of power from the concession and development of eight brown and green field hydropower projects created through public private partnerships.
It was learned that three of the power projects were already delivered to concessionaires, while the Federal Executive Council had authorized the concession of another of the power projects.
According to a February 2024 document that our correspondent was able to receive from the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation in Abuja on Friday, three of the hydroelectric projects had already been finished, while the remaining five were in varying states of completion.
The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation delivered the document to the National Council on Water Resources and Sanitation during its thirty-first regular meeting.
The country has been struggling with poor power generation and supply, as electricity firms generate and distribute between 3,000MW and 4,000MW for a population of over 200 million people.
The abysmal electricity supply situation grew worse since January this year after suppliers of gas to gas-fired thermal power plants stopped supplying the product to the plants due to the $1.3bn debt of the electricity generating plants.
To ameliorate the crisis, the Federal Government has been investing in hydropower plants that do not use gas, but are run by water-powered turbines.
The water resources minister, in the latest presentation from his ministry, stated that there had been tremendous progress in the brown and green field hydropower development through public private partnerships.
“We have conclusively concessioned some projects while still developing others through various PPP models itemised as follows: concession of the 40MW Dadinkowa Hydropower Project in Gombe State. We have attained financial closure and the plant is operational, thereby, stabilising the transmission voltage of the North-East of Nigeria.
“Concession of the 30MW Gurara Hydropower Plant in Kaduna State up to financial closure and the plant, which is under rehabilitation will commence commercial operation in the third quarter of the year 2024.
“Concession of the 40MW Kashimbila Hydropower Plant in Taraba State. The Federal Executive Council approval has been secured, the concession agreement executed and the commencement fee paid by the concessionaire to the special concession account as approved by the Federal Ministry of Finance Budget and National Planning,” Utsev said.
Outlining other projects, the minister said, “Development of 360MW Gurara Phase II Hydropower Project in Niger State (engineering, procurement and construction contract awarded and FEC approval for the concession of operation and maintenance of the power plant through PPP model secured).
“Development of 136 MW Manya and 182MW Bawaku Hydropower Projects in Taraba and Benue states respectively. This is at the procurement stage and ready to proceed to the Request for Proposal stage.
“Development of 460MW Katsina-Ala Hydropower Project in Benue. This is also at the procurement stage; proceeding to the request for proposal stage/negotiation with the proponent.
