Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) has relinquished the newly built, largest power transmission plant in Nigeria, Akute Power Plant, to the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).
The plant was commissioned by NDPHC last year but completely handed the plant to TCN at the weekend, having completed the provisions of the contract and TCN is therefore expected to fully utilise the state-of-the-art facility to improve power supply to Nigerians.
According to the Deputy General Manager, Civil Field Operations, NDPHC/NIPP, Claudius Ogunrinde the project has been completed and commissioned and the company has been running it under contractual terms. Claudius further explained that TCN was allowed to take partial control of the facility since last year.
To aid electricity consumption by Nigerians, the transmission plant is meant to step down power from 330kva to 132kva and then to 33kva.
After an exhaustive bidding process conducted by the Bureau of Public Enterprises, Manitoba Hydro International, a Canadian based company, was awarded the contract to manage the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), one of the successor PHCN companies.
This was a critical milestone in the roadmap to power sector reform which is focused on privatization of the industry and the improvement of power supply in Nigeria.
Manitoba is expected to transform TCN into a technically and financially efficient company during their 3 year contract during which they are mandated to develop the proficiency of TCN staff through training and capacity building programs. Under the management of Manitoba, TCN is expected to effectively and reliably wheel power generated by generation companies, to load centers.
