* Commissions sensitive cleaning centre in Afam that saves ‘massive forex’ in power sector
* Says corporation plans to spread investment along power value chain
By Ignatius Chukwu
Gas turbines from the Afam power plants would no longer be sent abroad for repairs. Now, millions of dollars would no longer be spent to send the rotors abroad.
Now, the 966mw Afam power plants (one to five) can now be reactivated, cleaned and overhauled in Nigeria, and this is likely save Nigeria what officials called ‘massive foreign exchange spending’.
This is the significance of the commissioning of the sensitive centre at Afam Monday, January 30, 2023.
Unveiling the new facility, Owen Omogiafo, president of Transcorp Group, said the investment would also save time and logistics needed to move gas turbine rotors abroad.
She mentioned huge logistics costs to move the rotors abroad and back, plus time lost, manpower that would have been developed in-country, and local labour lost.
Omogiafo inspected the entire complex and new facilities nearing completion, and later announced the readiness of Transcorp to invest across the power value chain.
Describing the Afam investment as a success, she said the group was encouraged by the acquisition of the Ugheli Power Plant many years earlier.
Transcorp acquired the facility when it was producing a mere 48mw 21 months ago. Giving details about capacity and output now available at Afam (1-5), Omogiafo said: “It’s on record that we recovered Afam V GT20 in September last year (2022). We have added another 138mw to the national grid (48 plus 138, total 188mw).
“We have four more gas turbines ready to operate as soon as we have gas. Discussions are on with stakeholders for gas to be provided.
I have just been informed that we are heading to Afam III Fast Power which is aerodynamics technology. This is expected to bring additional 240mw this year.” This is expected to boost the station to 428mw out of the 966mw installed capacity.
On Transcorp’s investment objectives in the power sector, the president said: “All over the world, transformation is powered by power, funny as it may sound. Our first investment in power was the Ughelli Power Plant in 2013 where we acquired it at the capacity of 160mw. As we speak, we are generating over 600mw. We are now contributing very strongly to Nigeria’s power sector.
“Our target is for us to be the leader in the power sector space and we are looking at the entire value chain. When we started we were looking at 25per cent. We invested billions upon billions of naira. It’s a very expensive venture.”
She said the group is looking ahead and would want to build local capacity. “Before now, to repair a gas turbine, we would have to ship it abroad but now, we have built and commissioned our own Gen Clean Room for the maintenance of these turbines. This is about fulfilling purpose which is improving lives and transforming Africa.”
Earlier in his explanations, Vincent Ozoude, MD of Transafam Power Limited, said the commissioning of the generator clean room would move repairs to the plant.
“We have saved the cost, time, logistics, labour and capacity development opportunities by having this clean room here.”
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