The Enugu State Government plans to utilize the state’s enormous coal deposits to generate electricity.
The Enugu State Governor, Dr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, disclosed this plan on Wednesday when he received in audience members of the Organized Private Sector at the Government House.
Dr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah also sets July 2026 as the groundbreaking date for the construction of a 660MW coal-fired power plant, even as he promised to build it within 24 months.
“Recall that Enugu State was the first subnational to set up an electricity market following the Constitution and Electricity Act amendments that effectively transferred power from the Exclusive List to the Concurrent List, thus paving the way for states to participate in all the power value chain, namely generation, transmission, and distribution.”
“But we have gone beyond just setting up the electricity market to now being interested in producing the electricity here. I am pleased to inform you that in July, we are going to be breaking ground for a 660MW coal-fired power plant,” Mbah said.
“The outlay in terms of time for building the plant is 24 months. So, our target is to commission that power plant 24 months after the groundbreaking in July.”
“What that simply means is that post-2027, you will not have your power go off in Enugu, whether for businesses or for residential. You are also going to have affordable electricity because it is going to be by far the cheapest in the country,” the Governor postulates.
The State Governor further allayed concerns about the efficacy and safety of using coal. He said that Enugu coal has a low sulfur content and a high calorific value, at about 7,000 kilocalories per kilogram.
“The interesting thing about our coal is that we have the best quality of coal in the world. Our sulfur content is less than 0.5 percent. With 1 percent, you are happy, but this one is 0.5 percent. The only country that comes close is Japan.”
“So, instead of just exporting our coal, we are going to be benefiting from it by adding value, generating electricity with it,” Governor Mbah said.
Governor Mbah further revealed that his administration has been studying and planning this project for two years and securing coal assets to guarantee unhindered supplies to the plant.
Earlier, Dr. Ugochukwu Chime Convener of Organized Private Sector Nigeria, OPSN, and Chairman NECA South East Zone applauded the Enugu State Governor whom he described as one of their own, whose private sector background has contributed immensely in his decision and running of the state better economic wise.
“We particularly commend your administration’s significant investments in security because we all know that business only goes to secure and peaceful destinations, urban renewal, and city expansion developments.”
“The construction and rehabilitation of strategic road networks have improved mobility, enhanced access to commercial centers, and stimulated economic activities across the state,” Chime stated.
“The Organized Private Sector is particularly proud that you are one of its distinguished products. Your private sector background, where practical and common-sense decisions prevail, has enabled you to appreciate the critical role of businesses in economic growth, job creation, and improved welfare of the people,” Chime said.
Other members of the OPSN present include Dr. Ifeanyi Okoye of NECA; Dr. Maduka Onyishi, founder of Peace Group of Companies; ECCIMA President, Engr. Nnanyelugo Onyemelukwe, ECCIMA Vice President, Princess Egbo, and Chairman of Wilson Group, Chief William Agbo.
The Organized Private Sector Nigeria (OPSN) is an umbrella body for the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA), the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), the Nigerian Association of Small-Scale Industrialists (NASSI), the Nigerian Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (NASME), and the Enugu Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (ECCIMA)
