SOME mega transformers that the Federal Government of Nigeria ordered under the Siemens Presidential Power Initiative (PPI) are set to arrive in September, Nigeria’s Minister of Power, Abubakar Aliyu, has disclosed.
Aliyu, who confirmed this today in a statement, said the transformers had all undergone factory acceptance test at the Siemens’ transformers factory in Trento, Italy.
The test, he explained, paved the way for Siemens Energy to start delivering the transformers to Nigeria.
“First batch of the transformers are expected to start arriving in Nigeria in September 2022,” he said.
The minister’s statement was signed by Isa Sanusi, his Media Assistant.
According to Aliyu, the managing director of the Federal Government of Nigeria Power Company (FGN-Power), Kenny Anuwe, who led a delegation of engineers from the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), witnessed the factory acceptance test conducted on July 28, 2022.
“The successful factory acceptance test shows Nigeria’s engagement with Siemens Energy is on track. It also shows the federal government’s commitment to addressing Nigeria’s electricity challenges,” the minister said.
Aliyu had earlier in April this year led a delegation to Germany, where he paid visits to Siemens Energy factories in Berlin and Frankfurt, and held meetings with the senior leadership of Siemens Energy. The meeting was on the need to fast-track the delivery of the early orders that are expected to kick-start the transformation of Nigeria’s electricity.
In December 2021, the Power Minister, with the support of the Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed, had secured the approval of the Federal Executive Council on the sum of 63 million euros for the procurement of equipment to boost power supply under the PPI, which first phase is expected to provide 10 mobile power sub-stations and 10 mega transformers that will be deployed across the country to boost and stabilize electricity supply.
The PPI would further enable Siemens Energy to upgrade Nigeria’s electricity systems for optimal service delivery.
The first phase of the PPI seeks to modernise, rehabilitate and expand the national grid by investing in the electricity value-chain, including generation, transmission and distribution systems.
The government has severally remarked that its partnership with Siemens in the power sector would expand Nigeria’s electricity capacity from the current 4,500 megawatts (mw) to 25,000mw.
The government assured that the first phase of the PPI under the Siemens deal would ensure increase of electricity supply to 40 million underserved Nigerians.
