Reps ask Shettima to summon emergency meeting of Niger Delta Power Holding Company board

The House of Representatives has called on Vice President Kashim Shettima to summon an emergency meeting for the urgent resuscitation of the Gbarain Power Plant in Bayelsa State to enhance the efficiency of the national grid.

Shettima doubles as the Chairman of the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) Board.

The resolution of the House followed the adoption of a motion moved at plenary on Thursday by Hon. Oboku Oforji.

The House also summoned the Managing Director of NDPHC, Mr Joseph Ugbo, to appear before its Committee on Power to explain the state of the Gbarain Power Plant.

Moving the motion, he said the Gbarain Power Plant is an open cycle gas turbine power plant built to accommodate future conversion to combined cycle gas turbine configuration.

Oforji explained that the plant is also an operating power station of at least 252 megawatts located in Koroama, Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital.

He recalled that the NDPHC lost the Power Control Module of the Gbarain Power Plant to a fire incident.

The lawmaker added that the Bayelsa State Government offered to take up some responsibilities of the NDPHC, since it was the most affected, particularly as the state-owned Niger Delta University derives its electricity supply from the station.

He noted that the State Government also undertook the rehabilitation and restoration of power supply through the 60MVA,132/33KV power transformer which is currently supplying the Gbarain Power Station auxiliaries and the host communities through the 2×15 MVA33/11KV injection substation, which was not functioning before the intervention.

Oforji added: “Saddened that rather than resuscitate the power plant which was built with $400m and valued as of today at over $800m, the management of the NDPHC is proposing to designate the 252MW Open Cycle Power station as a construction site, thereby abandoning its primary responsibility of running it to the benefit of the state, the Niger Delta and the nation at large.

“One is prompted to doubt the competence of NDPHC to manage this power plant which has the potential to be the largest power station in the nation because of its comparative advantage over other power plants in its proximity to gas,” Oforji said, adding that “Reaching its potentials, Gbarain Power Station can conveniently power the whole Niger Delta region and beyond.”

He further added that the Shell Petroleum Development Company has over 60MMsc of gas allocated to the plant which is not utilised due to the inability of the company to operate.