Andritz to rehabilitate Jebba power plant in Nigeria

Austrian plant engineering firm – Andritz has been contracted to rehabilitate one generation unit of the six turbines at the 578.4 MW Jebba Hydroelectric Power plant in Nigeria.

The power plant operator, Mainstream Energy Solutions – a private Nigerian company specializing in power generation, recently awarded Andritz Hydro a contract for the integral rehabilitation of generating unit 2G6 at the power plant.

Andritz’s scope of supply and services for the two-year project comprises the full rehabilitation of the intake gate, 96.4MW turbine, 103 MVA generator, transformer and all unit related auxiliary systems. A new digital turbine governor, excitation system, unit control system and main step-up transformer will also be supplied for the generating unit.

The Jebba power plant, located in Niger State – in the north-central part of Nigeria, was commissioned in 1984. The plant is situated 100 kilometers downstream of the Kainji hydroelectric plant and is equipped with six fixed blade propeller type turbines with a generating capacity of 96.4MW each.

The propeller type turbines were originally manufactured by Andritz (former Escher Wyss) and the generators were supplied by Hitachi (Japan).

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Currently, five of the six units at the plant are available for generation while one is out of operation as a result of a major fire which occurred in April 2009. Once rehabilitated, the new equipment will repower the plant back to its full operational capacity and boost the energy production of Nigeria.

The objectives of the general rehabilitation program are an extension of equipment service life for the next 40 years, improving the reliability, and ensuring compliance of the frequency and voltage regulation with the national grid code.

Valued at more than US $36 million, the contract has been awarded by Mainstream Energy Solutions Limited – a privately owned power generating company in Nigeria incorporated in 2011.

Mainstream Energy Solutions acquired the Kainji and Jebba Hydro Plants (HPP) through a concession agreement with the Federal Government of Nigeria in November 2013. Commissioning is planned for end of 2023.