High-level intrigues and political maneuvering have delayed the effective transmission of 450 megawatts generated by the newly inaugurated Zungeru Hydro Power Plant to the national grid, LEADERSHIP Sunday has learned,leadership reports.
Despite having an installed capacity of 700 megawatts, the plant is unable to transmit power effectively due to the absence of essential cables.
It was further revealed that, unlike other hydropower dams with lower capacities, the Zungeru plant requires cables of higher voltage for power step-down and evacuation.
A source within the facility disclosed that heavy pylon cables, which should have been provided by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), are needed for the transmission. However, the contract for supplying these cables was awarded to Mainstream Energy Ltd, the company that won the concession for the plant.
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The source, speaking on condition of anonymity, claimed that there are high-level intrigues and vested interests aiming to reverse the concession awarded to Mainstream Energy during the final days of the Muhammadu Buhari administration.
The source further alleged that certain interests are deliberately obstructing the transmission of power generated by the plant to the national grid, attempting to portray the company as ineffective and incompetent.
It was also learned that efforts are being made to frustrate the transmission process in order to reverse the concession. Last month, Mainstream Energy was awarded the contract to supply the necessary pylon cables.
Partial transmission from the plant to the Giuseppe-Shiroro-Katampe line has begun, and plans are underway to lay pylon cables from Kaduna to Zungeru to ensure the power generated can be evacuated and effectively transmitted to the national grid.
When contacted, Yahaya Ndace, the officer in charge of transmission at the Zungeru Dam, confirmed that the plant is generating over 400 megawatts, though the output fluctuates.
Regarding whether the plant is connected to the national grid, Ndace stated, “We are on the national grid.” When asked if there were any issues with the transmission, he reiterated, “Zungeru is on the national grid, no problem.”
An official from the Federal Ministry of Power, when approached by LEADERSHIP Sunday, promised to investigate the matter and provide clarification. However, no further information had been received as of the time of filing this report.
