Nigerian Gas-Fired Plant Plans to Double by 2020

Nigeria's largest power plant, Egbin Power, plans to more than double its generation capacity by 2020, according to a recent company report.

The gas-fired power complex, which currently generates about 1,100 MW, outlined its plans in a company sustainability report released on December 7.

According to 'Building a sustainable future', the plant's capacity will be increased to about 2670MW by 2020. The report, which covers 2015 and was written under Global Reporting Initiative guidelines, is targeted at shareholders, the government, local and foreign institutional investors, and others.

That would represent a doubling from privately-owned Egbin's installed capacity of 1320 MW (six 220 MW units).

Egbin Power CEO, Dallas M. Peavey, writes in the 146 page report: "In our continuous efforts to be the provider of choice where energy is consumed, the organisation is investing in a Combined Cycle Power Generating asset which is expected to be completed by 2020." This would be especially welcome in a country suffering from frequent blackouts as a result of insufficient generation capacity, exacerbated by this year's disruptions to gas supply and infrastructure.

According to Egbin's chairman Kola Adesina, the company's technical partner, Korea Electric Power Corporation (Kepco), will be mobilising the necessary financial, technical and regulatory processes to double its total power generation capacity over the next five years.

Egbin Power is located to the northeast of Lagos (Photo source: the company)

However the report does not indicate how the planned expansion will be funded, and what role the South Korean power giant might play in that, and how an expanded facility could be assured of guaranteed gas supplies. The complex is located at Ijede, near Ikorodu, a town to the northeast of Lagos.

Omono Okonkwo