Oscarline Onwuemenyi
24 August 2017, Sweetcrude, Abuja – The China National Electric Engineering Company, the firm handling the Zungeru 700mw hydroelectric power plant in Niger State, has disclosed that the project is at 47 per cent completion stage.
The Deputy Project Manager, Mr. Xiao Nie, told journalists on a tour of the project on Wednesday that the $1.29bn (about N473bn) project was expected to be completed in 2020.
He explained that the project was made up of four units of 175mw each, adding, however, that the first phase would be released by December 2019 while the remaining would be released after every three months.
He said that the project which was inaugurated in 2013 was initially expected to be completed in 2019 but was delayed by unresolved issues with the host communities.
Nie explained that when completed, the 700MW power plant would supply 2,640GWh to the national grid annually.
The deputy manager said, “The project consists of a dam for storage reservoir comprising an embankment and a roller-compacted concrete gravity section, a gated concrete spillway with appropriate dissipating structure.
“It has a main power intake structure, a four-unit out-door-type power house, an electrical substation, 332 KV double circuit transmission line to the Shiroro-Jebba line, and a 132 KV double circuit transmission line to Tegina Substation.”
He added, “Zungeru reservoir has a maximum operating water level of 230m and total storage capacity of 11.4×109m3.”
He said that the Zungeru plant was expected to improve electricity supply and boost industrial development in the country.
“It will also be helpful for flood control, the development of fisheries and agriculture; the navigable period and the length of the fairway will also be extended,” he added.
The Chinese national said the CNEEC had assisted the host communities in different ways, including the donation of a primary school to Zungeru town and construction of access roads to other communities.
He added that the contractor had also provided boreholes, emergency assistance, and hosted a charity clinic activity among others to the host communities.
Nie revealed that the firm had employed more than 3000 locals with the youths being trained in different skills acquisition.
