Transcorp Group, the parent company of Transafam Power Limited, has said that its subsidiary was planning to add additional 240 megawatts of electricity to Nigeria’s power generation capacity in 2023.
Transcorp President, Mrs Owen Omogiafo, disclosed this on Monday while commisioning the newly rehabilitated GT20 in Afam, headquarters of Oyigbo local government area of Rivers State.
Omogiafo said currently, the Transafam Power was generating 188 megawatts, stressing that the major challenge facing the company was gas supply.
She said: “All over the world, tansformation is powered by power. Our first investment on power was Ughelli power plant in 2013, when we acquired it was 160 mega watts but as we speak we are generating over 600 mega watts of electricity and we are contributing very strongly to Nigeria’s power sector.
“And it is the success of that investment that encouraged us to invest in Afam power plant despite the challenge of gas supply. It’s on record that we recovered Afam V GT20 on September last year. We have added another 188 mega watts to the national grid.
“We have 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 which is expected to bring additional 240 megawatts this year.
“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 25percent, we have invested billions. It’s a very expensive venture.
“We are liking ahead and we want to build local capacity. Before Now to repair a gas turbine you will have to fly abroad but now, we have built and Commissioned our own clean room for the maintenance of these turbines. It about fulfilling purpose which is improving lives and transforming Africa.”
Also speaking, the Managing Director of Transafam Power Limited, Engr. Vincent Ozoude, said the company has stopped capital flight by building its own “clean room” for the repair and maintenance of gas turbines’ components.
Ozoude said: “We have just Commissioned the generator clean room to repair gas turbines. We use the facility to repair generator rotors that will help us minimize the timeline of getting generator rotors out of the country to repair and then bring them back to Nigeria.
“We have saved the cost, time, logistics, labour and capacity development by having this clean room here. We took over this plant at 48MW of power generation and in less than a year and nine months we have grown it to 188MW out of the 966MW installed capacity.”
