Delta Partners Enel Group on Power Generation

Delta State government is partnering with an Italian electricity power giant, Enel to build, on a Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement a 250 megawatts of electricity in the state.
At a meeting in Abuja between Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, of Delta state, some of the company’s officials, led by vice president of the ENEL group, Mr. Pablo Muscati which also included the Italian Ambassador to Nigeria, Massimo Baistrucchi, Nigeria’s Ambassador to Italy, Crown Prince Eheneden Erediawa as well as Mr. Alfred Okoigun of Arco Petrochemical limited, the co-sponsor of Warri Industrial Business park. Governor Uduaghan decried the less than 100 megawatts of electricity the state receives from the national grid.
He said Delta state was prepared to utilize its abundant gas reserves which constitute 40% of the nation’s gas reserves to power electricity for the growth and development of the state and the country at large. He said the state in order to achieve power stability is exploring all avenues including partnering with the Federal Government in the implementation of the National Independent Power Project.
“We are working towards achieving 150 megawatts per day of electricity and to do this, we have paid for the turbine that will give us about 24 megawatts, we are negotiating for another one or two turbines that will give us the balance” he further disclosed.
Governor Uduaghan assured that there is already demand for electric power because of its insufficient supply. He said despite effort by some energy companies such as, Shell Petroleum Development Company and Chevron that have their own power productions, they are experiencing a lot of short fall in what they are producing, and such they will readily take up any power generated from another source.
On other plans and strategies to attract investors to the state, Dr. Uduaghan said that the Warri Industrial Business Park will be equipped to international standard, stressing that the development of deep sea ports including the Koko Export Processing Zone will be given priority.
Mr. Pablo Muscati, vice president of the Enel group, explained that his company is interested in exploring gas and would be willing to partner with the state government to boost its power supply. He said his company has vast business interest in Eastern Europe and Latin America and would want to explore new markets in Africa.
He stated that his group because of its interest in gas exploration has held discussion with the vice president, Dr Goodluck Jonathan in Abuja.