General Electric Delivers Fast Mobile Power Generating Equipment To Afam-3 Power Project

*Says Fast Mobile Power Plant Can Run On Natural Gas, Condensate

The General Electric (GE) has delivered its TM2500 mobile aero derivative gas turbine generator sets to Afam-3 Fast Power project site.

GE disclosed this in a statement issued by Messers Anne Ezeh, Communications Manager, Africa and Melissa Quesnel Communications Manager on Tuesday.

According to GE, the fast trailer-mounted gas turbine solution has the  capacity to add 240 Mega Watts (MW) to the Afam 3 Power plant.

GE and Nigeria had signed an agreement in 2014, to archive Nigeria’s additional power generation of 10,000MW.

GE is providing the mobile power generation equipment, electrical balance of plant, installation, commissioning services and training to the plant operators.

It is estimated that the Afam-3 power plant will get to commercial operation later in the year, pending federal government’s execution of financial structure of the plant.

The statement also quoted the Chief Executive Officer of GE, Mr Lawrence Anagbazo as saying “the project is a direct response to the Nigerian Emergency Fast Power intervention initiative, and we are committed to supporting the government’s strategy.’’

Anagbazo said GE team in partnership with the Ministry of Power had taken previously unutilised site and turned them into viable modern Power plants.

According to him, the completion of the project will provide electricity to 1.5 million Nigerians.

Meanwhile, GE’s Manging Director in charge of Gas Power Systems in Nigeria, Mohammed Mijindadi, said the Afam fast power plant was valued at $186 million.

He said the delivery of the fast mobile equipment, a crucial component of the project was designed to support Nigerians energy needs.

According to him, the TM2500 generator sets, which is a trailer mounted can also be installed faster than traditional power plants

This, he said was suited For Nigeria’s energy demand.

According to him, GE’s TM2500 fast Power solution delivers reliable and efficient Power with speed.

“It can operate with gas or distillate liquid fuel and emits approximately 50 per cent lower emissions compared to disel generators when operating on natural gas,’’ he said.

The Managing Director of Afam Power PLC, Mr Olumide Obademi said the Federal Government had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)  with GE to supply Fast Power in line with government incremental Power plan.

Obademi said the fast plant was a capacity of 240 MW of eight turbines of 30 MW each.

He said the installation of the turbines and generators had been completed while installation of the axillaries was in progress with 90 per cent completion.

He also said the job on 132KV switch yard for Power evacuation was on the verge of being completed.

Further, the GE said that the fast mobile power plant still under construction at Afam 3 Power Plant in Rivers is capable of generating electricity with the use of condensate and natural gas.

The Managing Director in charge of Gas Power Systems (GP), Mr Mohammed Mijindadi said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Afam, Rivers.

He said the Afam 3 fast project – a 240 MW plant – would provide electricity for 1.5million Nigerians when completed.

According to Majindadi, “This is unique because the benefits of these units here is speed. Typically to build a power plant it takes a very long time, but with these units you can have power up and running in a very short time.

“I think something else that is not really mentioned is there is the ability to run both natural gas and condensate and with all the volatility in the gas system in the country, the ability to run other fuels, I think it makes it really attractive; so for this it is very good.

“On the hydro space, we also have a lot of ability to play there and also on the solar space too.

“I think we play across many of the value chain in the power space.“

According to him, the project will be due for completion in July.

“A lot of things have been advanced on the site. On paper, we are saying July, but there are a few things on the government side which is securitisation; once it is done we are in the process of commissioning one of the units.

“And we think it can go quickly; what you see here is already done. Once the securitisation is in place, I think before July this should be up and running.“

He further said that the design for the Afam 3 fast power project could be replicated elsewhere in the country.

“I think when we started, we tried to create a model that could be replicated elsewhere, of course with the understanding that the government might not have a lot of money to fund the building of a lot of the units.

“So the structure I designed was a structure that if this works you could easily take it and  build it in other places.

“Remember that the things you are looking for are speed, flexibility – due to the uncertainty  of fuel availability – and of course financing, which is not readily available.

“So with a structure like this, without bothering the government, or GE, if you do it right you can replicate it in many places.“(NAN)