By Joycelyn Ellakeche Adah
After lying dormant for nearly three years due to gas supply disruptions and unresolved metering disputes, the 450- megawatts Alaoji Power Plant in Abia State has been restored to operation, raising fresh hopes for improved electricity supply and industrial growth in the South-East.
The Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) announced the revival of the plant during a meeting between its Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Engr. Jennifer Adighije, and Abia Governor Alex Otti, with efforts to stabilise and expand power supply in the state dominating discussion.
According to Adighije, the plant was shut down in 2023 after disagreements emerged over metering and trading points, prompting gas supplier TotalEnergies to suspend gas supply to the facility.
The shutdown was further compounded by mounting financial obligations owed by the plant operator, she said..
She disclosed that upon assuming office in 2024, the restoration of the Alaoji plant was one of the immediate priorities of the NDPHC management.
“The good news is that we have carried out and fixed all the remedial works on the defective gas line. We’ve also been able to completely defray our past due obligations to Total, and Total has restored gas supply to the plant,” Adighije said.
She added that extensive electromechanical rehabilitation works had also been completed, leading to the successful restoration of three generating units GT1, GT22 and GT23 now capable of dispatching about 375 megawatts of electricity to the national grid.
Adighije noted that the plant possesses adequate transmission infrastructure with minimal evacuation constraints, describing it as one of the viable generation assets capable of strengthening electricity supply on the grid.
She also commended the Abia State Government for ongoing reforms in the electricity sector, particularly the Aba ring fenced power arrangement and the establishment of the state electricity regulatory agency.
According to her, the company intends to leverage the Electricity Act and the emerging bilateral electricity market framework to collaborate directly with states and eligible customers in expanding electricity access and reliability.
“We would love to form a strategic alliance with Abia State considering the fact that you are very driven and determined to secure uninterruptible electricity for the good people of Abia State,” she said.
Responding, Gov. Otti described the restoration of the plant as a significant development for the state’s economy and industrial ambitions.
“The last time I visited the Alaoji plant, it was regrettable that such capacity was wasting away. I’m glad to learn that you have brought it back to life,” the governor stated.
Otti revealed that the facility could eventually be expanded from its current capacity to about 800 megawatts and later to approximately 1,100 megawatts, depending on the availability of funding.
He reiterated that electricity remains one of the most critical drivers of economic growth and disclosed that his administration had prioritised reforms and investments in power infrastructure since assuming office in 2023.
The governor further revealed that the state government had already ring fenced the Umuahia electricity market and entered into an agreement with the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company for the acquisition of distribution assets covering Umuahia and surrounding areas.
According to him, the state would require about 100 megawatts of electricity to effectively service the eight local government areas under the Umuahia ring fence arrangement, while renewable energy and mini grid investments were also underway.
Otti directed the Commissioner for Power and Public Utility to begin discussions with NDPHC officials on modalities for wheeling electricity from the Alaoji plant to Umuahia and other parts of the state.
The Abia State Commissioner for Power and Public Utility, Engr. Monday Ikechukwu, also assured the NDPHC management of the state government’s readiness to commence commercial negotiations with the company, stressing that stable electricity supply remains a top priority for the administration.
Earlier, the Acting Chief Operating Officer of the Alaoji Power Plant, Engr. Emenogu Augustine Uzoma, assured that the facility was fully prepared to resume full scale operations.
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