- NDPHC announced that the 500MW Alaoji Power Plant will resume operations in August after two years of inactivity to improve electricity generation.
- Adighije and NISO leadership pledged stronger collaboration to enhance plant availability, fair dispatch, and integration with the national grid.
The Alaoji Power Plant, idle for nearly two years, will resume operations by August 2025 as part of the Niger Delta Power Holding Company’s (NDPHC) broader push to revive dormant generation assets and strengthen grid supply, the company’s managing director said on Thursday, July 10.
Jennifer Adighije, Managing Director of NDPHC, announced this during a visit to Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) headquarters in Abuja. The meeting aimed to foster deeper collaboration with the newly restructured transmission system operator following the unbundling of the Nigerian Transmission Company.
Last month, NDPHC-managed plants produced less than 1,000 megawatts (MW) despite a total installed capacity exceeding 4,000MW. According to the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), only the Ihovbor 2 plant was running near full capacity, delivering 449MW out of its 461MW capacity as of April. Other plants, including the 500MW Alaoji 1 unit, had recorded no output for months.
However, Adighije said operational recovery is gaining momentum. “We expect to bring one more unit at the Omotosho power plant online by the end of July, and Alaoji will follow in August,” she said.
She described the progress as a significant milestone. “We’ve improved plant availability by more than 100% in just nine months. This is part of our broader optimisation strategy, technically and commercially, to maximise the performance and commercialisation of stranded capacity.”
Adighije emphasised NDPHC’s role in supporting the national grid, highlighting its installed capacity of over 5,000MW across 10 power stations. She also urged closer coordination with NISO to ensure fair grid access, dispatch parity, and operational flexibility.
“As a government-owned generation company, we operate under public procurement laws, which impact our speed. We’re asking for regulatory consideration where applicable,” she said.
She further noted NDPHC’s investments across the power value chain. “We’ve delivered over 50 330kV and more than 25 132kV substations, adding over 9,000MVA in transformer capacity, making us Nigeria’s biggest contributor to grid infrastructure,” she added.
Responding, NISO Managing Director Abdul Bello Mohammed praised NDPHC’s efforts and pledged to work closely with the company to optimise generation, dispatch coordination, and grid stability.
“NDPHC is the largest utility in Nigeria. You have a minimum available capacity of 2,000MW, but we are dispatching only 500 to 800MW. That’s a major gap,” he said. “We must bridge it through improved coordination and integration.”
Mohammed also pushed for the fast-tracking of NDPHC’s integration into the SCADA/EMS system to enable real-time dispatch and enhance frequency control. He stressed that compliance with free governor mode, vital for frequency stability, must improve across all NDPHC plants.
On power exports, he said NDPHC’s excess capacity could be channelled into the West African Power Pool (WAPP) to generate revenue. He also called for NDPHC’s participation in national planning. “We are developing a least-cost grid expansion plan. NDPHC must supply project data to support this process.”
Both parties reaffirmed their commitment to stronger collaboration as Nigeria’s power sector evolves under the 2023 Electricity Act.