(Ecofin Agency) - The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has announced that the first set of the three newly planned gas-fired power plants to be constructed in Abuja, Kaduna and Kano will be completed by 2019. NNPC's Group Managing Director, Maikanti Baru (photo), who disclosed this at the ongoing 2017 edition of the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) in Houston, U.S.A, explained that the three plants will collectively generate up to 3,000 megawatts (MW) of electricity.

According to him, the corporation at present has interests in two power plants, one in Okpai, Delta State and the other in Afam, Rivers State. These two plants were built together with its Joint Venture (JV) partners, Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) and Shell, and collectively generate up to 1,000 MW. He noted that once the three plants are completed, NNPC would be delivering up to 4,000 MW of electricity to the national grid.

Baru added that within the same period, the corporation would also increase the crude oil production capacity of the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), its exploration and production arm, to 300,000 bpd and afterwards to 700,000bpd.

Anita Fatunji