Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) Co., Ltd. has awarded Ak-AY Elektrik the contract for immediate installation and energization of the Owerri National Independent Power Project (NIPP) 2 x 150MVA and 2 x 60MVA 330/132/33kV Owerri transmission and substations.
NDPHC disclosed this in a statement signed by its media adviser Sanya Adejokun yesterday, but notified that Lafia and Nasarawa in Nasarawa state have been reconnected to the national grid.
The company stated that the transformers in the Owerri substation were installed more than 10 years ago and they are neither energized nor adequately protected.
It said that these four power transformers were recently tested by experts, and they recommended a vacuum drying process to remove trapped moisture.
According to NDPHC, it is therefore appropriate to first unload them and ship them to the GTA factory in Lagos for oven drying, and then transport them back to Owerri for final installation and power up.
According to the statement, NDPHC network executive director Mr. IfeOluwa Oyedele has sent a letter awarding the contract to Imo Governor and Senator Hope Uzodinma; the managing director of the Nigeria Transmission Company (TCN) briefed them on the development.
According to Oyedele, “There was no attempt to steal the transformer. The Indian is a GTA worker and a subcontractor of our EPC contractor Ak-Ay Elektric. He took the transformer to their workshop for vacuum drying and testing.”
Oyedele also requested the cooperation of citizens of Imo State so that the contractor could start work immediately and complete it in record time.
However, the statement corrected some media misunderstandings about the contractor's intentions and status over the weekend.
"We thank the Imo State government and people for their vigilance and continued cooperation to ensure the protection and safety of government property and our workers," Oyedler further said.
However, NDPHC announced that it has completed and supplied power to Lafia 2X150 MVA, 2X60/132/33330kV transmission substations, thereby connecting Lafia and Nasarawa to the national grid.
The NIPP 330/132/33kV Lafia transmission substation was awarded the NDPHC in November 2016, and the work on the Akulba site began in 2017.
NIPP aims to strengthen power infrastructure and improve national supply.
The company stated that 2 x 150MVA 330/33kV transformers T1 and T2 and 75MVar shunt reactors (used for voltage regulation/control) have been successfully energized on November 30, 2021.
It explained that on December 1, 2021, 2×60MVA 132/33kV transformers T3 and T4 were successfully energized.
Oyedele said that the Lafia 330/132/33kV substation is the latest substation in the current grid. It is equipped with the most advanced digital control and protection facilities, and has a fully functional human-machine interface (HMI) that can enhance real-time operation flexibility, monitoring and control. All substation electrical variables.
Governor Abdullahi Sule, who has witnessed the commissioning of the power transmission substation technology, was quoted as saying that the Rafia substation has been successfully tested and connected to the grid and expressed satisfaction with the quality of the work done.
The power transmission substation has the capacity to transmit and meet the 240MW load demand.
Sule said: "The project will strengthen and guarantee uninterrupted power supply in Nasarawa and surrounding countries.
"Prior to this, even in government buildings, Rafia could not use electricity from the distribution network, because the 33kV line from Akwanga was seriously overloaded and was not enough to power the state capital and its surrounding areas.
“The project will also help provide feedback to FCT when necessary because FCT is provided by Shiroro and Geregu power stations,” he said.
The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) has almost completed the network of distribution feeders, which will ensure that residents of the state and surrounding areas immediately begin to enjoy the full benefits of the completed Rafia substation.