The Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) has commenced the rehabilitation of the 225-megawatt Gbarain National Integrated Power Project (NIPP) in Bayelsa State, marking the start of efforts to restore the power plant after more than five years of inactivity.
The company formally handed over the facility to the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), Schneider Electric/TILT Energy, following the issuance of a Notice to Proceed (NTP), paving the way for restoration work to begin.
According to NDPHC, the rehabilitation is aimed at recovering one of its stranded generation assets, increasing available generation capacity and improving electricity supply to the national grid.
The Gbarain power plant has remained out of service since November 2020, when a fire destroyed its Power Control Module (PCM), forcing the shutdown of the 225MW facility before it could be commissioned.
NDPHC said rehabilitation work commenced after the company secured the necessary statutory approvals and resolved technical, contractual and administrative issues that had delayed the project. The contractor is expected to complete the work within 12 months.
Speaking during the handover ceremony, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NDPHC, Jennifer Adighije, commended the project team for advancing the rehabilitation to the implementation stage after years of delay.
She urged the contractor, consultants and other stakeholders to work collaboratively throughout the project, stressing that the company would maintain a zero-tolerance approach to delays and project slippages.
According to Adighije, restoring the Gbarain plant will improve generation availability, enhance grid stability and contribute to more reliable electricity supply across the country.
She said the rehabilitation forms part of NDPHC’s broader strategy to maximise existing generation assets and support the Federal Government’s efforts to improve electricity supply nationwide.
NDPHC’s General Manager, Generation Projects, Ginsau Idris, said the fire extensively damaged the Power Control Module, making its complete replacement necessary.
He expressed confidence that the contractors and consultants would deliver the project within the agreed timeline.
Also speaking, NDPHC’s Executive Director, Generation, Abdullahi Kassim, recalled that the Power Control Module was destroyed by fire in November 2020, only months before the plant was due to be commissioned, describing the incident as a major setback.
Kassim added that complementary infrastructure, including access roads and support buildings, is also under construction, describing the Gbarain Power Plant as a strategic national asset because of its proximity to abundant natural gas resources.
