60 MW Power Plant: Bayelsa commences EIA
The Bayelsa Electricity Company Ltd in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Environment on Friday commenced Environmental Impact Assessment on the site of the proposed new 60 Megawatts (MW) power plant.
The power plant project being undertaken by the Bayelsa government is located at Elebele, a suburb in the outskirts of the state capital.
Gov Douye Diri, who spoke on the project on Wednesday, said it would end the state’s dependence on the national grid and provide uninterrupted power supply across the state.
Steve Bubagha Jnr., Director of Operations of the Bayelsa Electricity Company Ltd conducting the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal and his team to the project site.
The director said the state company intends to install a 60mw plug and play gas fired turbine which will receive gas feed from the Oando gas manifold located in Elebele community.
He said total area of land for the project was about 5.8 hectares, noting however that the company was currently making use of 2.1 of the total hectares allocated for the project.
According to him, the Independent Power Plant is officially known as ‘Yenagoa Power Project’.
“This is a ‘Plug and Play’ Gas Turbine. What we mean by ‘plug and play’ is that the turbine is already set to be installed on arrival from the manurfacturers.
“What we are waiting for is just to work on other components of the gas turbine, and so in less than two years or at most in two years time the turbine should be running” Bubagha said
Speaking with newsmen shortly after his visit to the site, Minister of Environment represented by Mr Adimchinobi Okereke, an official of the Ministry, said the visit was to ensure that work on the site does not fall short of conventional EIA guidelines.
He lauded the state government for the project, adding that upon completion it would not only benefit Bayelsans, but also solve part of the protracted power problem facing a segment of the nation.
He said: “The reason for this visit and workshop is to ensure that a proper EIA was carried out before final approval is granted the Bayelsa State Government.
“But you must know that this power project is a welcome development for the state and Nigeria as it will not only benefit this state and its people, but also solve the problem of inadequate power supply to a segment of this nation”, he said.
Meanwhile, the EIA consultant to the project, and Dean Faculty of Science, Niger Delta University, Prof. Azibola Inegite assured of international best practices.
He pledged that the EIA would be carried out on the site and location of the power plant, saying it is an essential aspect of the execution of life-impacting land and environment related projects.
Also speaking, a participant and Technical Adviser to state Governor on Print Media/Public Affairs, Wisdom Ikuli commended Gov. Diri for his foresight in executing the project.
Ikuli noted that the proposed 60 MW power plant will curtail the effect of the incessant power outages experienced in the state.
According to him, the Yenagoa Power Project will also grow businesses and fast track the processes of industrialization of state.
Highpoints of the Minister’s visit was a programme tagged, ”Stakeholders Engagement Scoping Workshop For Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of Proposed Installation of Gas Powered Plant and Gas Delivery Pipeline In Bayelsa State”.
Participants at the workshop included stakeholders from Elebele, host community of the proposed power plant, and Kpansia, an impacted community in the Yenagoa Local Government Area of the state as well as others.
