Managing Director of Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC), Chiedu Ugbo, has announced that the 252 Megawatts Gbarain Power Plant in Bayelsa State is poised to commence operations soon, catering to the power needs of the state and neighboring regions. Ugbo made this declaration during a visit by members of the House of Representatives Committee on Power to the power plant for an oversight function.
Addressing the committee on Wednesday, Ugbo identified cash flow constraints as the primary challenge that delayed the resuscitation of the Power Control Module (PCM), which recently suffered damage. He explained that when he assumed office in 2016, the Gbarain Power Plant was still in the construction phase. Despite facing significant financial hurdles, the NDPHC took proactive measures by installing temporary power controls, even though they were owed close to N200 billion.
Regarding the repair of the damaged PCM, Ugbo admitted that it presented an engineering challenge, making it difficult to provide an exact timeline for its restoration. However, he assured that work to address the issue is currently underway. He elaborated, stating, “We had to put a unit to the grid and unfortunately, the temporary power control module put in place got burnt. But at the time it happened, we had a more pressing threat to the community, which was that the line pipe laid before 2015 was being washed away by River Nun.”
Experts in the sector say the announcement of the impending commencement of operations at the Gbarain Power Plant is welcomed news for residents of Bayelsa State and nearby areas, who have long grappled with inadequate power supply as efforts continue to address technical challenges and ensure the plant’s functionality.
