UMUAHIA — The Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) has announced the restoration of the 450-megawatt Alaoji Open Cycle Power Plant in Abia State. The facility is back online following a 36-month shutdown caused by gas supply disruptions, commercial metering disputes, and unpaid financial obligations.

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the NDPHC, Jennifer Adighije, shared the development during a meeting with the Governor of Abia State, Alex Otti. According to a statement issued by Emmanuel Ojor, Head of Corporate Communications and External Relations at NDPHC, the plant was initially closed in 2023 after disagreements emerged over metering and trading points, prompting gas supplier TotalEnergies to suspend its supply to the station.

Clearing Debts and Repairing Generating Units

The three-year closure had limited electricity supply to the South-East region and reduced overall capacity on the national grid. Adighije, who assumed leadership of the agency in 2024, stated that bringing the Alaoji plant back online was treated as a priority due to its strategic position.

To resolve the standstill, the NDPHC undertook technical repairs on the supply lines and cleared its outstanding debts with the fuel supplier.

“The good news is that we have carried out and fixed all the remedial works on the defective gas line,” Adighije stated. “We’ve also been able to completely defray our past due obligations to Total, and Total has restored gas supply to the plant.”

Alongside the pipeline repairs, engineering teams completed electromechanical restoration work on the plant's hardware. The maintenance returned three generating units identified as GT1, GT22, and GT23 to operational status. These units are now capable of dispatching approximately 375 megawatts of electricity to the national grid. The facility currently possesses sufficient transmission lines, meaning there are no immediate evacuation constraints holding back the power.

Shifting to a Bilateral Electricity Market

The return of the gas-fired facility occurs as Nigeria transitions toward a more decentralized electricity market under the current Electricity Act. The updated legal framework allows state governments and regional distribution networks to buy power directly from generation companies through bilateral agreements, moving away from sole reliance on the central grid.

Governor Alex Otti welcomed the restart, describing it as a vital factor for local manufacturing, business growth, and economic conditions in Abia State.

[2023]         TotalEnergies cuts gas supply over metering disputes; plant shuts down.
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[2024]         New NDPHC leadership under Jennifer Adighije prioritizes Alaoji revival.
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[May 2026]     Debts cleared, gas lines fixed, and 375MW available for grid dispatch.

Otti noted that the Alaoji facility has the long-term potential to expand beyond its current installed capacity, suggesting it could eventually reach 800 megawatts and potentially scale up to 1,100 megawatts if future funding becomes available.

The governor explained that his administration has prioritized energy infrastructure since taking office in 2023, notably through the ring-fencing of the Umuahia electricity market and agreements with the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company to acquire distribution assets. Managing the eight local government areas within the Umuahia ring-fence alone will require an estimated 100 megawatts of power.

To utilize the plant's newly restored capacity, Otti directed the Abia State Commissioner for Power and Public Utilities, Monday Ikechukwu, to open immediate commercial discussions with the NDPHC. The talks will focus on the technical and legal arrangements needed to wheel electricity from the Alaoji plant directly to Umuahia and other commercial hubs across the state.

Operations resume at the 450-megawatt facility in Abia State following the clearance of outstanding debts to TotalEnergies and repairs on key generating units.