NDPHC Begins Gbarain Plant Revival to Boost Power

The Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) has begun rehabilitating the 225-megawatt Gbarain Power Plant in Bayelsa State, Nigeria, reviving a project that has remained idle since a fire damaged a critical component in 2020 and delayed its entry into Nigeria's electricity grid.

NDPHC on Friday handed over the rehabilitation of the gas-fired power plant to a joint venture between TILT Energy Limited and Schneider Electric, marking the start of work to replace the damaged Power Control Module (PCM), a key system that monitors, controls and coordinates the operation of a power plant.

The 225MW facility was nearing completion before a fire in November 2020 destroyed the PCM, forcing the company to suspend plans to commission the plant.

The rehabilitation contract is expected to be completed within 12 months.

Speaking during the handover ceremony, NDPHC's General Manager for Generation Projects, Ginsau Idris, said replacing the damaged equipment was necessary to return the plant to service, adding that all parties involved had committed to delivering the project within schedule.

Executive Director of Generation, Abdullahi Kassim, described the 2020 fire as one of the biggest setbacks the project had faced, noting that it occurred only months before the plant was due to begin operations.

He added that supporting infrastructure, including access roads and operational facilities, is also being completed to ensure the power station is ready for commissioning once rehabilitation works are concluded.

NDPHC Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Jennifer Adighije, said the company prioritised the project because it offers one of the quickest opportunities to add electricity to the national grid.

According to her, the company secured the required approvals and funding to restart the project, expressing confidence that replacing the damaged PCM would pave the way for the plant's recommissioning.

TILT Energy Limited Managing Director, Deji Awodeji, assured that the contractors would deliver the project within the agreed 12-month period while maintaining quality and safety standards.

Plant targets quick capacity boost

The rehabilitation comes as Nigeria continues to face a shortage of electricity generation despite growing demand from households and businesses. Bringing the Gbarain Power Plant into operation would add 225MW to the national grid without constructing an entirely new facility, making it one of the fastest options for increasing available generation capacity.

The project is also significant because it revives an investment that had remained stranded for more than five years after the fire. Completing the rehabilitation would enable the government to recover value from infrastructure that was substantially completed but never put into service, while improving electricity supply in a country where inadequate generation continues to constrain economic activity.

The Gbarain Power Plant is one of the projects developed under the National Integrated Power Projects (NIPP), a federal initiative established to expand Nigeria's electricity generation and transmission infrastructure.

Located close to the Gbarain-Ubie gas processing facilities in Bayelsa State, the plant has access to a reliable gas supply, positioning it to contribute stable baseload electricity once commissioned.