Delta State governor, Ifeanyi Okowa says the $40 million (N15.2 billion) Delta Power Industrial complex, being undertaken by the state government in partnership with the private sector, will commence operation in 2022.
Okowa, who recently did the ground-breaking of the industrial complex, has described it as ‘Nigeria’s first and largest multi-industry local content industrial complex.’
The project located at kilometre 25 along Asaba-Benin Expressway, Issele- Uku in Aniocha local government area of Delta State, is designed to have power transmission, tower manufacturing, testing, industrial fabricating and hot-dip galvanisation plant, training and research facility.
The tower manufacturing plant with over 50,000 tons per annum capacity is expected to produce towers for power transmission from 33kv to 1,000kv lines for both Nigeria and export. It would also produce transmission and distribution substation gantry structures and telecommunication towers, among other things.
The tower testing and research station would test transmission towers of various types to international standards and would be equipped with facilities to perform tests on towers up to 1,000kv and 120 meters in height.
The project known as DELFRASCO Industries Limited is a public-private partnership (PPP) initiative between Enfrasco Limited and Delta State government.
Okowa said that the project would provide products and services to power, oil and gas, telecom, agriculture and other industries.
“Major customers are expected to include Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Nigeria LNG Train 7 Projects, EPC Contractors in Energy and Infrastructure Projects and telecom infrastructure providers.
“It is envisaged to meet the present and future demand for tower manufacturing in Nigeria as well as the whole of Africa, and contribute positively to the socio-economic development of Delta State and Nigeria,” the governor said.
He listed the benefits of the project as being a hub for power transmission technology, creation of over 1000 direct jobs, generating foreign currency earnings for Nigeria through the export of towers to other parts of Africa, development and training of Nigerian manpower, among others.
Okowa noted that Delta remained Nigeria’s gas and energy capital, holding about 40 percent of the country’s gas reserves and supplying over 50 per cent of its daily gas production.
He, therefore, assured that his administration would continue to create the enabling environment for companies and industries to thrive and provide gainful employment for our youths in a safe, secure, and supportive environment.
Okowa urged the private sector in Delta to take full advantage of all incentives put in place to bolster ease-of-doing-business in the state.
Chairman of DELFRASCO Industries Limited, Chukwuma Okolo, said that the project was one of its kind in Africa, with its integrated tower fabrication testing and galvanising facilities.
He underscored the significance of the project as enormous, saying that testing towers for electricity transmission were still being done outside the country.
Okolo, therefore, said that upon completion, the company would render industrial fabrication services for oil and gas industries and agricultural industries, among others.
