The federal government has directed the contractors handling the 700 megawatts (MW) Zungeru Hydroelectric Power Project to meet up with the December 28, 2021 deadline for the completion of the project.
Minister of Power, Engr. Abubakar Aliyu, gave the directive while receiving the consultants and contractors of Messrs; CNEEC-Sinohydro consortium for the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) of the 700MW Zungeru Hydroelectric Power Project who paid him a courtesy call in his office on Friday.
Recall that Zungeru Power Project is the biggest hydropower project under construction in Nigeria and it’s estimated to cost $1.3 billion.
It is also one of the biggest power projects in Africa to receive preferential loan facilities from the Export-Import Bank (Exim Bank) of China.
Construction works on the power plant started in May 2013 and was expected to take 60 months for completion.
The Zungeru project is estimated to generate 2.64 billion kWh of electricity a year, which will meet close to 10 per cent of Nigeria’s total domestic energy needs.
The minister assured the contractors of the federal government’s resolve to surmount the challenges faced by the contractors in the discharge of their duties which bothers on Security and cost adjustment owing to the extra work outside the contracted sum and the delay in the release of fund by China Exim Bank.
