700mw Zungeru Power Plant finally connected to National Grid

The Presidency confirms that Nigeria’s second largest hydroelectric plant, the Zungeru Power Plant with 700 megawatts installed capacity, located in Niger State was connected to the National Grid in last week of April 2024 “leading to an improved supply in electricity to many areas across the country”.

Special Adviser to the President on Social Media, Dada Olusegun in post on his X handle says “The ambitious power plant represents a major achievement of the APC-led government” under President Muhammadu Buhari and his successor, Bola Tinubu. He however acknowledges that the project started in 2013 which was under the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan.

Olusegun explains that the administration of former President Buhari “handed over engineering, procurement, and construction to a Chinese consortium comprising China National Electric Engineering Company (CNEEC) and Sinohydro after initial construction began in 2013”.

He says, “President Tinubu ensured continuity with the concession process which is set to earn Nigeria $70 million annually for the next 30 years for managing the complex”. The $1.3 billion Zungeru Power Plant was concessioned and handed over in January 2024 to the Mainstream Energy Solutions Limited that is also managing the Kainji and Jebba Power Plants.

The Zungeru Power Plant is “estimated to generate 2.64 billion kWh of electricity annually, which will meet close to 10% of Nigeria’s total domestic energy needs”. Though the plant has installed capacity of 700 megawatts, it is not clear how many megawatts it will actually be generating as the other hydroelectric plants in Shiroro, Kainji and Jebba also in Niger State and Kashimbili in Taraba State have never operated at optimal capacity.

Though, the Minister of Power under the Buhari administration, Abubakar Aliyu, announced in May 2023 that the Zungeru Power Plant was already connected to the National Grid, Dimensionz.Live gathered that it was a test transmission which was also repeated in April 2024.