Substation 1 of the Port Harcourt refinery has been energized and will power 14 others. This is according to the second part of an audio-visual report put together by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) on the level of progress made in the refinery’s rehabilitation project.
The report highlighted the fact that the Port Harcourt refinery is gearing up for its startup and will need 15 substations to power its operations.
To date, the team has laid 64 kilometres of electrical cables to facilitate this task, with 65% of these cables sourced locally.
According to the report, substation 1 will power all other 14 substations and it has been energized. Among these substations, Substation 1 serves as the primary power hub for both the old and new refineries.
“The substation has been completed and energised. It is a complete rehabilitation of all substations at the refinery, not a revamp or upgrade,” the NNPC said. “Substation one which is the refinery’s primary substation and powerhouse will supply electricity to substations in the old and new refineries.”
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According to the NNPC, 64 kilometres of new electrical cables have been laid to achieve this and 65 percent of those cables were sourced locally.
Kelvin Agbasi, project management consultant, PHRC rehabilitation Project, said: “During this rehabilitation project, all the equipment in this substation have been taken out; the transformers, switchgear, and even the electronic power management system has also been introduced. Everything here is brand new, latest technology and up-to-date”
The NNPC said that the substation contains high and low-voltage panels and motor control centre panels which receive 11,000 volts of electricity. “From here, it is stepped down for distribution to other substations.”
Read also: Port Harcourt refinery to be ready in December 2023, says Lokpobiri
Ibrahim Onoja, the managing director of Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC), assured that the procurement process for the rehabilitation of the refinery was 98 percent complete.
“Our long lead items are on site; instrumentations are on site. We have completed most of the procurement that we need to do. The refinery has gone over 98 percent,” he said.
Earlier, Heineken Lokpobiri, the Minister of State for Petroleum (oil), said that the Port Harcourt Refinery (PHRC) will be ready by December 2023. Mele Kyari, Group Chief Executive Officer of the NNPC also holds that same sentiment.
Kyari said during a meeting with lawmakers on November 23 “I can confirm to you that by the end of December this year, we will start the Port Harcourt refinery.” However, with 21 days to the end of the month, the pressure to deliver as scheduled is mounting on the Federal government and the NNPC.
