Obasanjo never commissioned Olorunsogo II – NDPHC

Obasanjo commissioning Olorunsogo Power Plant in 2007

The management of the Niger Delta Power Holding Company Ltd (NDPHC) says the newly-commissioned 750MW National Integrated Power Project (NIPP) Olorunsogo II Power Plants were never commissioned by former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

The NDPHC assertion was contained in a statement issued by company’s General Manager, Communication and Public Relations, Mr Yakubu Lawal, on Tuesday in Lagos.

Lawal said that the completion and commissioning of the Phase II of the Olorunsogo plant was another manifestation of President Goodluck Jonathan’s commitment to deliver on his promises to complete inherited projects.

He said that the phase II is a combined circle plant consisting of four gas turbines, four heat recovery steam generators and two steam turbine units.

According to him, each turbine has a capacity of 125 Mega Watts (MW). “The power plant thus has the capacity to generate 750 MW, a positive development over the phase I plant commissioned by Obasanjo, which has eight turbines with capacity for 42MW each or a total capacity of 335MW.

“While the Olorunsogo II project was built by the NIPP as a joint investment of the three tiers of governments, the Olorunsogo I project was basically a Federal Government Project.

“Both projects were built by SEPCO III of China under distinct and separate contracts. The two power plants sit adjacent to one another but on defined and distinct survey coordinates.

“They can be accessed by any investigative journalist or indeed any inquisitive person seeking accurate, unbiased information at any time,” Lawal said.

He said that the NIPP was conceived in 2004 by President Obasanjo as a fast-track initiative to add significant new capacities in electricity generation, transmission and distribution.

He said that Jonathan ‘s commitment first as the steering Chairman of NIPP and later pioneering Chairman, Board of directors of the NDPHC actually gave life to the success stories of the project.

“The efforts of the two leaders should be complimented rather than being used as a basis to cause unnecessary debates with the intention to cause disrepute and undue rancour.

According to him, the commissioning of the Olorunsogo ll power plant will increase megawatts available to the national grid and further enhance the gradually improving power supply situation in the country.