The concerns keep mounting following assurances last week by Gov Diri last week that the power plant was being used installer with safety and protective devices.
Diri had declined to disclose the cost of the plant at one of the inspections when a journalist threw the question.
Diri in parrying the question promised that the cost of the plant will be made known after completion, a pledge he has yet to redeem.
There are also concerns around the cost of gas denominated in dollars as to whether the full operational costs would be passed to the end user.
At current gad costs compelling the Federal government to spend trillions of Naira on electricity subsidy, will Bayelsa government subsidise electricity from its power plant.
Some stakeholders dismiss the concerns around gas arguing that the state had successfully run a 15 MW power plant and said that residents who were forced to pay for power not used in the estimated billing to late will be ready to pay for power when it becomes available.
The new 60MW Independent Power Plant is designed to operate with a gas consumption of about 11.2 million standard cubic feet of gas per day (MMSCFD).
Engr Olice Olice Kemenanabo, Managing Director, Bayelsa Electricity Company who gave the hint, says the gas feed to the plant is expected to gulp $ 3.5 million per quarter.
Oando PLC, on April 16, 2026 announced that its upstream Joint Venture (JV) with NNPC E&P Limited (NEPL), the NEPL/Oando JV, has enabled the delivery of gas to a 60-megawatt (MW) Independent Power Plant (IPP) in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.
“The project, commissioned by His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, on Friday, April 10, 2026, forms part of the State’s broader infrastructure development programme,” Olando said in a statement.
According to the statement by Mrs. Folasade Ibidapo-Obe
Chief Compliance Officer & Company Secretary at Oando PLC, the NEPL/Oando JV is the sole gas supplier to the plant, with a contracted volume of 11.2 million standard cubic feet per day (11.2 MMSCFD).
“Gas is delivered via the JV’s Elebele Valve Station, interconnected with a major trunkline, ensuring an uninterrupted feedstock supply to the IPP. This supply is underpinned by a long-term gas supply arrangement, providing a stable and predictable revenue stream while supporting higher-value domestic gas monetization and diversifying the JV’s revenue base.,”
The people are also awaiting outcomes of Bayelsa government decisions on either building a new distribution network and transformers or strengthening and using the existing one operated by the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company.
Meanwhile, Jampour Group, the contractor for the plant which also signed a $ 3 million deal for metering is yet to commence action.
These concerns create apprehensions that residents might have to wait longer than soon for homes and businesses to receive electricity from the new plant.
