NDPHC Condemns N300 Billion Loss From Stranded Power Capacity, N400 Billion NBET Debt

The Niger Delta Power Holding Company says Nigeria is paying for power it can generate but cannot dispatch. More than 1,500 megawatts of its plants are mechanically available, yet the system allocates only about 500MW for hourly dispatch.

NDPHC Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Jennifer Adighije said the gap has cost the company more than 300 billion naira in suppressed and stranded capacity. She called for regulatory intervention to review the dispatch merit order.

The company is also seeking help with more than 400 billion naira in unpaid obligations from the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc, distribution companies and other market participants. Adighije asked lawmakers to intervene, including over payments linked to NDPHC assets recognized in the regulated asset base of the Transmission Company of Nigeria.

NDPHC contributes about 4,000MW to Nigeria’s installed generation capacity of roughly 12,000MW. Adighije identified transmission limits, low tariffs, weak market settlements, gas supply problems, unpaid debts and vandalism as major operational obstacles.

Under the first phase of the Nigeria Integrated Power Project, NDPHC built 10 power plants. Seven operate commercially, two remain under construction and one is being upgraded. The company also reports 120 completed transmission projects, including 60 330kV substations, 31 132kV substations and 37 expansion projects, with transformer capacity above 10,000MVA. It said it had recovered 110 abandoned containers and 216 packages during Adighije’s first 100 days in office, and recovered $12 million from cross-border bilateral customers.

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NDPHC had more than 1,500MW of mechanically available generation capacity but was allocated an hourly dispatch of about 500MW, resulting in significant suppressed and stranded capacity.