By Esseh Ikora, Uyo
The Management, Dangote group in alliance with BlackRhino, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and other consultants have concluded plans to float a mega Independent Power Plant (IPP) in Akwa Ibom State.
The project expected to gulp over N1.1billion, according to representatives in the partnership who met with governor Udom Emmanuel at the weekend to formalize modalities for the commencement of the job, would be located on the onshore platform of the Qua Iboe Terminal (QIT) at Ibeno Local Government of the State.
ExxonMobil, operators of the QIT oil terminal at Ibeno, is expected to work with the NNPC under the Joint Venture (JV) agreement, to facilitate gas supply to the facility for optimum operation.
African Development Bank (ADB) and Islamic Bank (IB), are the major financiers of the mega project which, according to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and founder of the BlackRhino group, Mr. Brian Herlihy, would generate no fewer than 12,000 jobs, when completed.
He expressed optimism that the project would be a mutually beneficial one, saying they were comfortable in investing in the project due to the governor’s track-records and commitment to infrastructural revolution in the State.
To facilitate prompt development and delivery, he explained that “a combined cycle technology in alliance with General Electric” would be involved in the mega project.
Speaking on the sideline of the meeting, governor Emmanuel expressed delight at the gradual take-off of his administration’s industrial policy, assuring that the arrival of the power plant would complement the Independent Power Plant (IPP) at Ikot Abasi, to further boost government plans to change the civil service status of the State into an industrialized economy.
He said he was committed to full realization of the project, assuring of his administration’s commitment to guarantee security and cooperation of the host community, adding that work on the project would commence in September 2018.
“It is a project that has been in the pipeline over time and we are just at a point of realizing it. That is why you see us meeting and try to drop timelines on what we want to achieve within a short period”, he said
