700MW Zungeru Hydroelectric Power Project Completed – FG

The federal government of Nigeria has annouced the completion of Zungeru Hydroelectric Power project worth over $1.3 billion which will add 700MW of electricity to the national grid.

The Honourable Minister of Power H.E. Engr. Abubakar D. Aliyu, FNSE annouced this yesterday when he paid a working visit to the site located in Niger state.

During the visit the minister conducted around with the Governor of Niger State, Abubakar Sani Bello and members of the Senate Committee on Power chaired by Senator Gabriel Suswam.

In April 2022, Nigeria has commissioned the first 175 MW unit of the 700MW. The three other units enter into production in the same year 2022.

The US$1.3bn Zungeru hydropower project was built by two Chinese state-owned companies, China National Electrical Equipment Corporation (CNEEC) and Sinohydro Consortium, under a 2013 contract. The Exim Bank of China awarded a US$985m loan with preferential conditions for the project to Nigeria, supporting 75% of the cost of the project. Construction started in 2013 and the project should produce 2.6 TWh/year of electricity.

Nigeria intended to complete the project in the fourth quarter of 2022. According to a statement issued by the company’s Deputy Project Manager, Li Xiao Ming, the first turbine which will generate 175MW of electricity will be commissioned in the first quarter of 2022.

He added that the second turbine which will also generate 175MW of electricity will also be commissioned in the second quarter of 2022; the third turbine is expected to be commissioned in third quarter of 2022 while the fourth, which is the last is expected to come on stream in December 2022.

Unfortunately, the project suffered set back owing to the prevailing insecurity in the North West, the atrocities forced workers out of the site following the killing of security guards and kidnap of two Chinese nationals on January 4, 2022.

However, the federal government worked hard to ensure that the project is completed. December 2021 target was set for the completion and commissioning of the project, which is envisioned to be the second-largest hydroelectric power station in the country, after the 760MW (1.02mhp), Kainji hydroelectric project.

The project which will produce 2.6 TWh/year of electricity to the national grid successfully completed in the second quarter of 2023 as announced yesterday by the minister of power.