The federal government has said that it is expecting the delivery of €63 million mega transformers in September this year. The supply is in line with the Presidential Power Initiative (PPI) deal with Seimens.
It also said that the transformers have successfully undergone factory acceptance test.
The federal ministry of power said yesterday in Abuja that the first batch of the shipments, which are expected to be made from the Siemens’ transformers factory in Trento, Italy, would start arriving in Nigeria from this September.
The Managing Director of the Federal Government of Nigeria Power Company (FGN-Power), Mr. Kenny Anuwe, led a delegation that included engineers from the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), who witnessed the factory acceptance test conducted on Thursday in Europe.
Minister of power, Abubakar Aliyu, in a statement in Abuja, explained that the acceptance test has paved the way for Siemens Energy to start delivering the transformers to Nigeria.
It would be recalled that last April, the minister led a delegation to Germany where he paid visits to Siemens Energy factories in Berlin and Frankfurt, and held meetings with the senior leadership of Siemens Energy.
At the time, the minister spoke about the need to fast-track the delivery of the early orders that it said would kick-start the transformation of Nigeria’s electricity.
“The successful factory acceptance test shows Nigeria’s engagement with Siemens Energy is on track. It also shows the federal government’s commitment to addressing Nigeria’s electricity challenges,” said the minister.
It would be recalled also that last December, the minister of finance, Mrs Zainab Ahmed and his power counterpart, secured the approval of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) for €63 million for the procurement of equipment to boost power supply under the PPI.
The first phase is expected to provide 10 mobile power substations and 10 mega transformers that will be deployed across the country to boost and stabilise electricity supply, the government stated.
President Muhammadu Buhari actually initiated the PPI to enable Siemens Energy to upgrade Nigeria’s electricity systems. The first phase of the PPI seeks to modernise, rehabilitate and expand the national grid by investing in the electricity value chain, including generation, transmission and distribution systems.
“On 28 July 2022, a team of Nigerian engineers led by the MD of Federal Government Power Company Mr. Kenny Anuwe witnessed the factory acceptance test of the mega transformers ordered by the federal government under the first phase of the Presidential Power Initiative.
“The factory acceptance test was conducted at Siemens Energy factory in Trento, Italy. The transformers will start arriving in Nigeria in September. In December 2021, the Federal Executive Council approved €63 million for realising the partnership between the Nigerian government and Siemens Energy.
“The Presidential Power Initiative (PPI) was set up by President Muhammadu Buhari to engage the global energy giant, Siemens of Germany for the upgrade and modernisation of Nigeria’s electricity value chain to deliver stable electricity across the country.
“On electricity supply, the federal government is committed to improvement and will not be distracted,” the minister wrote separately on his Twitter handle.
In February, Aliyu inaugurated the Project Management Office (PMO) to oversee the implementation of segments of the Siemens power deal.
Aliyu, who charged the new team to be up and doing in the discharge of their duties, informed the gathering that members were carefully selected based on competence and technical background.
The project is to provide power to Nigerians in three phases of 7,000MW, 11,000MW and 25,000MW between now and 2025 under the federal government’s initiative to supply reliable power to the national grid.
The minister who chronicled the progress made so far said the deal had culminated in a signed agreement with the German technology firm under the former German Chancellor, Angela Merkel.
While explaining the composition of the members of the PMO, the minister said that independent experts were selected to be supported by nominees of statutory agencies.
According to him, the team’s competence to run the project had been proven, assuring them of his support as the chairman of the technical and regulatory board of the presidential initiative.
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