Lafarge Africa Plc has signed an N11 billion contract with Chinese contractor, Rughn Power Corp, to build a captive power plant at its Ashaka plant in Gombe State. Chairman of the Board of Ashakacem, Mallam Suleiman Yahyah, said the agreement is for erection of a 16-MW lignite-fire plant for the firm.
Mallam Yahyah added that the power plant would supply consistent energy to boost the plant to increase the firm’s production capacity to 1million metric tonnes annually. Yahyah said: “The north east region is a strategic region where Ashaka is supporting the construction programme of government. This project will further strengthen the relationship with Gombe State as well as the communities and reinforce the importance of Ashaka as the major manufacturing company in that part of the country.”
Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, stated that the federal government has signed a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with 15 companies to improve power supply using solar technology. He added that with the PPA agreement, government is targeting over 1,500 megawatts to add to what Nigeria currently generates.