NNPC Finishes Pipe Projects, Will Complete Others
State producer Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation has accelerated completion of several gas pipeline system projects, its group managing director has said.
Maikanti Baru said that all available thermal power plants in the country are today connected with permanent gas supply pipelines.
Addressing the Nigerian Society of Engineers' annual general meeting November 21, Baru listed six of the more important gas pipelines now completed as: Oben gas plant to Geregu power plant (196km), Escravos-Warri-Oben (110km), Ukanafun-Calabar (128km), Emuren-Itoki (50km), Itoki-Olorunshogo (31km) and Imo River-Alaoji (24km).
In line with the '7 Big Wins' initiative announced a year ago by President Muhammadu Buhari's administration, NNPC's Baru went further to pledge that about 2,700MW of thermal power generation capacity will be added to the Nigeria's national grid "in the near future" to generate more power for a new industrial revolution in the country.
Baru also spoke about future gas projects which will facilitate better power generation in the country, citing the ongoing construction of the 127km East-West OB3 gas pipeline that will link Oben to Obiafu-Obrikom, stating that the project will be ready by end-2018. In addition, the 363km looping expansion of Escravos-Lagos Gas Pipeline System is expected for delivery by 1Q 2018. Funding for these projects will come from public private partnership (PPP) models being used to build and expand gas infrastructure, according to NNPC.
NGW had earlier reported that the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano gas pipeline (a contractor-financed project) was awaiting approval from a further authority after obtaining certificates from the Bureau of Public Procurement and Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission. Regarding this, Baru said that the evaluation process for this project's engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) tender, as well the EPC tender process for the Qua Iboe Terminal to Obiafu/Obrikom (QIT-Ob/Ob gas pipeline) gas pipeline were ongoing. He said the two projects will add over 1000km to the nation's gas pipeline network.