Nigeria Content Online

Goodluck Jonathan yesterday gave the go-ahead for the
construction of a new National SuperGrid that will address most of the
country’s current power transmission problems.

He took the decision after receiving projections of
an increase of power to 6939 MW by April 2011 and 14019 MW by December
2013, submitted by the Presidential Task Force on Power.

The president’s spokesperson, Ima Niboro, said the
new 700 KV SuperGrid, which will be completed in four years at a
projected cost of $3.5billion, is expected fulfil Nigeria’s need to
transmit increasing amounts of power across vast distances which the
existing 330/132KV grid cannot meet.

“In granting approval for the SuperGrid at the weekly
meeting of the Presidential Action Committee on Power which he chairs,
Mr Jonathan directed that it should be funded as a federal asset, with
additional financing from private investors and international finance
and development agencies,” Mr Niboro said.

The SuperGrid, which will run along the same route as
the existing 330/132KV grid, will also address Nigeria’s future energy
challenges, including transition to more sustainable energy sources,
reduction of power loss per transmitted megawatt and improving power
voltage profiles across the country.

“The huge advantage of the 700 KV SuperGrid over the
existing 330/132 KV grid is that it will significantly reduce the huge
amount of power currently lost in transmission,” Mr Niboro said.

New roadmap

Mr Niboro’s statement further explained that without
the SuperGrid, the quantum of power lost in transmission will continue
to increase, as more power progressively becomes available for
evacuation from new and rehabilitated generating stations. Periodic
systemic failures will also become more frequent.

“According to current projections by the Presidential
Task Force on Power, Nigeria’s available generation capacity will rise
to 6939 MW by April next year and 14019 MW by December 2013,” he said.

In another development, Mr Jonathan will on Thursday,
August 26, 2010, present a new roadmap for the reformation of Nigeria’s
power sector to the private sector, at an event organised by the
Nigerian Economic Study Group in Lagos.

He is also expected to seize the opportunity of the event to
acquaint members of the private sector with fresh investment
opportunities inherent in the power sector reform programme and invite
greater private sector support for the programme.</