The Federal Government has connected the 700 megawatts Zungeru Hydroelectric Power Plant to the national grid, giving a boost to Nigeria’s power generation.
Zungeru Hydroelectric Power, located in Niger State, is a 700MW capacity plant and Nigeria’s second-largest hydroelectricity power station, behind the Kainji Hydroelectric Power Plant, which has a capacity of 760MW.
The Minister of Power, Abubakar Aliyu, announced the connection of the plant to the grid during a send-forth ceremony organised by power sector officials for him, and the Minister of State for Power, Goddy Jedy-Agba, on Thursday night in Abuja.
“I want to say that today (Thursday) the Zungeru Hydroelectric Power Plant has become a reality. We have today joined the grid with 700MW. The testing started last night and information has reached us, with a pictorial view of the meters showing that the 700MW has gone on the grid.
“Recall that the last two weeks we were there together with members of the National Assembly, including the Chairman, Senate Committee on Power. We all visited the site and we are now putting power on the grid,” Aliyu said.
He also said the Kashimbila hydropower, a joint project between the federal ministries of power and water resources, had also been completed.
Commenting on the Siemens electricity project for Nigeria, under the Presidential Power Initiative, Aliyu stated that the programme was still ongoing.
He added, “As soon as I became the power minister, we met the President of Siemens, and had a discussion with them to bring in equipment. As I am talking to you now, we have installed some transformers and they are in service.
“We are installing one in Ajah, Lagos, and we have just brought in the mobile substation, which is very massive, about 10 of them, being cleared at the ports. The first one has been cleared and is already in Ajah substation.”
