Sino Hydroelectric Power Project has completed the installation of the final turbine of the 700 Megawatts Zungeru Hydroelectric Power Plant in Niger State, Nigeria.
The $1.3 billion plant has four turbines with each contributing 175 Megawatts.
With this development, Niger State now houses four Hydroelectric power plants with a combined capacity of 2,638.4 Megawatts; Shiroro 600 Megawatts, Kainji 760 Megawatts, Jebba 578.4 Megawatts, and now Zungeru 700 Megawatts.
The new Zungeru Hydro Electric Power Project is planned to be commissioned early next year by the President, Mohammadu Buhari.
Of the $1.3 billion cost of the project, 25 percent is sourced from the Federal Government of Nigeria, and 75 percent is a loan from the Chinese government, through the Exim Bank of China.
Construction started in 2013, with an initial completion date of 2018. This was shifted to December 2021, yet it couldn’t be met.
The engineering, procurement, and construction contract was awarded to a Chinese consortium comprising China National Electric Engineering Company (CNEEC) and Sinohydro.