The Bayelsa State Government has said that the Kolo Creek Gas Turbine Plant located in Imiringi, Ogbia local government area is undergoing refurbishment.
This is according to a statement by the Deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo.
He made this known during a recent meeting he had with Jumboogois Global Services Limited and their foreign partners in the Government House, Yenagoa.
He said the government is prepared to leverage the liberalization of the power sector and take full advantage of the abundant natural gas reserves in the state to build additional power plants to meet the growing energy needs of the people.
The state government also has the intention to build new gas turbine plants to create an enabling environment for the growth of electric-power-driven and dependent industries in Bayelsa state.
According to the Deputy Governor, the Kolo Creek Gas Turbine alone could no longer supply the volume of electricity demand in the state given the expansion of the distribution network covering several communities previously not connected to the grid.
He also revealed that the government had already signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the firm as part of its commitment to improving power generation and distribution in Bayelsa state.
He asked Jumboogois Global Services Limited to expedite action on the refurbishment of the gas turbine and the local assembling of pre-paid meters for electricity consumers. He said:
- “We are going to latch in on the opportunity created by the law in the power sector. Bayelsa is in a hurry to develop, so we are excited about this project. The Kolo Creek Gas Turbine is among the first of such plants established in Nigeria.
- “Power is productivity, and productivity is progress. No industrialization can take place without power. As a government, we are happy that a son of the soil is spearheading this project, and we are quite encouraged by the steps taken so far.
- “You talked about the issue of smart prepaid meters. The prepaid meter is another way of making sure that we do not only generate revenue but also ensure that people will get value for money.
- “I also think that the power needs of the state are beyond the Kolo Creek Gas Turbine, as it is now. So, we should be looking at establishing another gas turbine in the state because Bayelsa is gas, and gas is Bayelsa State.”
What you should know:
The Tinubu-led administration is keeping up with the decade of gas initiatives introduced by the Buhari administration, where gas is harnessed for auto use, industrialization, clean cooking, and power supply.
