Bayelsa plans 60,000MW power plant, says acting gov

Bayelsa State is working towards establishing an independent power plant that would generate 60,000MW of electricity in order to ensure a stable power supply in the state, according to the acting governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo.

Ewhrudjakpo disclosed this on Monday at a meeting with the leadership of the Imiringi community and some stakeholders of Ogbia Local Government Area, including the Obanobhan of Ogbia Kingdom, King Charles Owaba, in Government House, Yenagoa.

He said the state government was partnering with some Chinese investors to site a power plant by the existing gas turbine belonging to the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board at Elebele that would generate about 60,000MW.

Ewhrudjakpo disclosed that the state government is also making efforts to refurbish the state-owned gas turbine station located at the Imiringi community in Ogbia Local Government Area of the state.

He said when the turbine comes on stream, it would supply electricity to Ogbia and Yenagoa local government areas while the second plant would serve Kolokuma/Opokuma, Sagbama, and Ekeremor local government areas to avoid over-reliance on the national grid.

Going forward, Ewhrudjakpo said the state government would provide a third power plant to generate and distribute electricity to Nembe, Brass, and Southern Ijaw local government areas in line with the ASSURED Agenda of Governor Douye Diri in the power sector.

He said, “We are working hard to see how we can get independent power. We are working with some investors to get another power plant by the Elebele gas turbine that belongs to the local content, which will generate about 60,000MW to cover about three or four local government areas.

“And the plant at Imiringi, when refurbished, will supply electricity to Ogbia and Yenagoa local government areas to resolve the problem of epileptic power from the national grid.”

He apologised to the people of the Imiringi community over the Ministry of Power’s efforts to move the turbine transformers for refurbishment without properly notifying the community and attributed it to communication gap between the government and the Elebele community.

Ewhrudjakpo described the incident as a regrettable action on the part of the government and thanked the Imiringi people for their understanding, stating that the government’s intention was to take out the transformers to refurbish them and bring them back to improve the power supply in the state.

“The government’s intention was to take the transformers out for refurbishment and see how we could start the gas turbine, but our intention was misunderstood.

“We take full responsibility for the communication gap; because of the exigencies of government, we could not adequately inform the community of government intention to take out the facility for refurbishment. On behalf of the government, we apologise for the mix up which almost cost a near fracas,” he said.

Speaking on behalf of government officials from Ogbia, the Chief Whip of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly and member representing Ogbia Constituency 2, Gabriel Ogbara, thanked the Acting Governor for his prompt intervention in the matter, adding that as part of the government, they could not afford to be antagonistic to constituted authority.

In his remarks, the spokesman for the Imiringi community and retired director of the Ministry of Environment, Naru Okpu, expressed gratitude to Ewhrudjakpo for convening the meeting.

Okpu, who described the Kolo Creek gas turbines as one of the legacies of the late Chief Melford Okilo, expressed confidence in the present administration’s commitment to restoring electricity to the area in particular and the state in general.