Partnership aims to strengthen grid stability, expand electricity access, and support Nigeria’s energy transition goals…
Genesis Energy Limited and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) have announced plans to channel excess electricity from the Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC) to the national grid, a move aimed at improving power supply and advancing Nigeria’s energy transition agenda.
The initiative was unveiled during a visit by Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, to Genesis Energy’s operational site within the refinery in Eleme, Rivers State.
Genesis Energy operates an 84-megawatt off-grid clean power plant, the nation’s largest licensed private facility of its kind, which supplies sustainable electricity to the Port Harcourt refinery. Currently, the refinery is under a technical review, leaving much of the plant’s capacity underutilized.
“The Port Harcourt refinery can only use 20 MW of its current capacity, leaving over 60 MW stranded,” Minister Adelabu said.
Under the new arrangement, the stranded power will be fed into the national grid, aligning with the Federal Government’s Power Sector Reform and Energy Transition Agenda.
Adelabu praised Genesis Energy’s operational performance and emphasized the government’s support for private-sector investment in the power sector.
“We have over 10 gigawatts of stranded generation capacity in Nigeria today,” he said.
“This collaboration will serve as a proof of concept for integrating excess capacity into the national grid and could add up to 120 megawatts once the pilot phase is completed.”
The minister further assured that transmission infrastructure and commercial arrangements would be fast-tracked to enable smooth evacuation of power to the grid.
Genesis Energy’s Perspective
Akinwole Omoboriowo, Chairman and CEO of Genesis Energy Group, described the partnership as a step toward leveraging clean energy solutions for national development.
“This collaboration with NNPC exemplifies pragmatic innovation, using existing assets to expand energy access, enhance refinery productivity, and support national development,” Omoboriowo said.
He highlighted that the project would create jobs, support industries, and power local communities, while advancing Nigeria’s journey toward a cleaner and more sustainable energy future.
The 84 MW facility, powered by three GE TM2500+ gas turbines, currently supplies uninterrupted power to the PHRC, reducing reliance on diesel and mitigating grid instability.
Genesis Energy emphasized that gas-to-power projects like this can act as strategic enablers for renewable energy deployment, with every 1 MW of gas-to-power capacity creating potential for up to 2 MWp of solar power investment, supporting Nigeria’s Just Energy Transition and climate resilience goals.
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