The wheeling capacity of Nigeria ‘s transmission grid is in doubt as the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and its Joint Venture Partner, Nigeria Agip Oil Company Limited (NAOC), pledged their commitment to implement the Okpai Phase 2 Project which will add 500 megawatts (mw) of power to the grid.
Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Dr. Maikanti Baru, and the new Vice Chairman and Managing Director of NAOC, Fiorillo Lorenzo, pledged to the commitment Tuesday in Abuja, noting that the additional power is achievable provided the transmission network will be able to wheel it.
Baru said the Okpai Phase 2 Project was being fine-tuned to expeditiously bring it on stream, adding that it would increase power generation by about12 percent.
“That is additional 500mw of power that is coming in, provided the transmission is up and going, then we should be able to boost the current power supply to the country by another 10 to 12 per cent of the current generation”, Dr. Baru noted.
Earlier, Lorenzo said: “We want to grow and we want to build and develop new opportunities for the country and support the country in its energy journey. We want to try to change and improve the energy mix of the country and the Okpai Project is a testament of this commitment of our company ”
The NNPC/NAOC JV have been working for 15 years to implement the Okpai Phase 2 Project