It no longer makes economic sense for any manufacturing company to set up a power plant to provide electricity for its operations in Aba and its environs in Abia State, according to the Aba Power Managing Director, Ugo Opiegbe.

In a telephone interview with journalists this morning, Mr Opiegbe remarked that such generators known in the power sector as captive plants, are no longer required in the area because Aba Power Electric Ltd, Nigeria’s 12th electricity distributing company (DisCo), now provides sufficient and quality power in its coverage area in Abia Sate.

The company serves nine of the 17 local government areas (LGAs) in the state.

“Two weeks ago, after we marked the 60th day of uninterrupted power supply in the Aba Ring-fenced Area because we the power plant received steady supply of natural gas ceaselessly from our partner, Heirs Energies, which operates the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL)/Heirs Energies joint ventures”, Opiegbe recalled.

“A few days after we marked the achievement, there was an interruption for a few hours due to a technical hitch at a gas facility belonging to our partner, but however, gas supply was quickly restored, showing that Heirs Energies, a Nigerian firm, is getting set to compete effectively with international oil companies (IOCs), and this is good news to the Nigerian people”.

Though the MD mentioned no names of companies reported to be planning to establish power plants in Aba due to unreliable public power supply over the decades, it is understood that a major European multinational famous for producing leading beverages in Nigeria has been mentioned in media reports as planning to do so.

“The decision to set up such a captive plant is understandable”, the Aba Power boss stated, “but it however, we understand that the decision was taken many years ago, before businesses, individuals, and communities began to receive take constant steady power supply as a given following the commissioning of the 188-megawatt Geometric Power gas-fired plant in the Osisioma Industrial Layout of Aba and the massive improved gas supply to it”.

Opiegbe revealed that European manufacturing giants like PZ which receive supplies from his utility have recorded a significant reduction in business costs because they have “practically nothing to do with power self-generation anymore”.

“Self-generation is very expensive, and industrialists in Aba had been depending on it over the years because they didn’t have an alternative”.

He also stated that apart from the high costs of self-generation purchase of compressed natural gas (CNG) and diesel and maintenance of big generators, electricity self-generation pollutes the environment.

He explained: “Environmental pollution in Aba, a foremost national industrial city, was massive because of the constant running of generators of all sizes by small, medium, and large manufacturers, as well as homes, hospitals, laboratories, and educational al institutions. However, but with constant and quality electricity from Aba Power, the generators have gone silent.

“There is no more noise pollution, nor are there emissions from thousands of generators in Aba which deplete the ozone layer”.

Opiegbe noted that it would be ironical if a European manufacturing company in Nigeria contributes to environmental degradation because European nations like Holland and Germany are among leading global campaigners for environmental protection.

“I don’t think that irony can be lost on any person”, he declared.