The Bayelsa Government says it will soon acquire a 100 megawatts gas turbine to enhance power generation, as part of efforts to boost electricity supply in the state.
Daniel Iworiso-Markson, Chief Press Secretary to Gov. Seriake Dickson, said in a statement that the government had awarded the contract for the supply of the gas turbine to the Independent Power Energy Ltd. in the US.
It quoted Dickson as telling the officials of the US firm at a meeting on Sunday in Abuja that the 100 megawatts turbine would be installed at Imiringi community, new Yenagoa.
The statement said that the contract for the power project was being handled by the American company along with its financiers, Deutsch Bank of Germany.
It further said that the state government had equally concluded plans to upgrade the existing gas turbine at the Imiringi plant to generate 114 megawatts of electricity.
“The energy that would be generated from the new gas turbine, which is expected to be installed in one year, will add to the existing one and bring the total amount of power to 214 megawatts.
“We expect that the 214 megawatts will boost electricity supply to meet the power needs of the state,” it added.
The statement said that the new power project would be executed under a public-private-partnership agreement between the American company and the Bayelsa Government.
“When completed, part of the power generated will be sold to the national grid to generate income for the state and the investing company.’’
The statement added that the project was in line with the governor’s pledge to develop the state’s infrastructure to attract foreign and local investors.
It quoted Ian Duff, the President of the Independent Power Energy Ltd., as saying that the company would deliver the gas turbine, which had the latest technology, within the stipulated time.
It said that Duff also pledged that the standards would not be compromised in the construction of the power plant.
The statement said that government functionaries who attended the meeting included the Commissioner for Energy, Francis Ikio, the Commissioner for Trade and Investments, Ayakeme Masa and the Commissioner for Special Projects, Fred Obua.
Others included the Commissioner of Works and Infrastructure, Lawrence Ewhrudiakpo, and the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Investments, Cyril Akika.