A major power supply boost is on the way as Total Nigeria Limited an- nounced in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Tuesday, its ability to supply gas to the National Integrated Power Plant (NIPP) at Alaoji along the Imo Rivers in Abia State. Total said this came as a result of the completion of a section of its Northern Op- tion Pipeline (NOPL) from Km 38 (at Obigbo) to Km 50 (at Imo River) on January 12, 2015.
Total is a leading inter- national oil company and a world-class operator in gas and petrochemicals with operations in more than 130 countries. In response to rising energy demand, the group is stepping up its growth in solar energy and biomass. Charles Ogan, deputy general manager, policy, media & coordination, To- tal, quoted the managing director, Elizabeth Proust, thus: “This milestone will help bring to reality the Federal Government’s aspi- ration of improved electric power supply in Nigeria and demonstrates Total’s commitment to meeting its promises to deliver better energy”.
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Total said the Northern Option Pipeline is a 24-inch wide, 50 km long, pipeline under construction by the company on behalf of the NNPC/TEPNG Joint Ven- ture. Proust said when com- pleted later this year, the project would deliver 100 million cubic feet of gas per day to this strategic power plant. It would be recalled that in an effort to ensure early gas supply to newly-built power plants, the Federal Government requested To- tal E&P Nigeria to complete a section of the NOPL from Kilometre 38 (at Obigbo) to Km 50 at Imo-River where the line connects to Nigeria Gas Company (NGC) facili- ties. “This is the point that allows gas inflow to the Alaoji Power Plant.
This intervention for early gas required that TEPNG mobi- lised additional resources to fast track the works in order to meet the deadline despite numerous changes associ- ated with the difficult ter- rain”, BusinessDay gathered.
The gas now being supplied to the Alaoji Power Plant during this interim period would come from Seven Energy, while the Nigeria Gas Company (NGC) would transport the gas through its pipeline and the section of Total’s NOPL.
Total’s activities in Nige- ria are said to be carried out by Total E & P Nigeria Lim- ited, operator of the NNPC/ TEPNG Joint Venture, Total Upstream Nigeria Limited (TUPNI) and various Total E & P Deepwater subsidi- ary companies with best practices in corporate social responsibility (CSR), health, safety & environmental protection (HSE) and Nige- rian content development.
