The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, has assured local investors of the government’s readiness to support prospective investors in the power sector.
Fashola gave the assurance on Monday during the commissioning of 115 Megawatt Gas Turbine 15 at Transcorp Power Company, Ughelli in Delta.
The minister said gas was essential to power generation and urged stakeholders in the Niger Delta to sustain the peace already returning to the once volatile region.
“This current administration is willing to support local investors who are putting their resources into the power sector.
“While we are looking for foreign investors, the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration understands that the local investor is the most dependable investor.
“The local investor is not going to run when the ship hits stormy waters and it is their continuity and commitment to continue to invest that really dignifies the Nigerian economy.
“To the Transcorps groups and other local investors, the Buhari administration heard you loud and clear.
” We are dealing with the challenges of solving the issues that you face one after the other. One of them as you have referred to is the payment assurance scheme that has now been put in place.
“The power that you now produced will be paid for every day you put it on the grid. That is what that funding is for.
“You have acknowledged the appointment of a new Managing Director of Trsnsmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).
“It is because we know that when you produce the power, unless we want to lose it, it must quickly transport it and that is the reason TCN is being reformed,” he said.
Responding, the Chairman of Transcorp Power Company, Mr Tony Elumelu, urged government to assist investors in the power sector to deliver on their goals to the consumers by making funds meant for them available.
“The new Gas Turbine 15 also comes with 33 per cent simple cycle efficiency.
“With the successful commissioning and synchronising of the turbine to the national grid, it has increased the available capacity of our plant from 160 MW (at the time of takeover on Nov. 1, 2013) to 620MW.
He said the corporate goal of the company was to increase its available capacity to 850 MW before the end of the year. (NAN)