The federal government has inaugurated an 11-member project delivery committee to bring the Aluminium Smelter Company of Nigeria into full operation.

The inauguration was done in Abuja on Tuesday by power minister Adebayo Adelabu.

The committee comprised three members from ALSCON, two from the Niger Delta Power Holding Company, two from the Transmission Company of Nigeria, and two members each from the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission and the Federal Ministry of Power.

In its terms of reference, the committee is expected to fast-track  the connection of 132 kilovolts transmission lines, ensure the completion of  the Itu-Aba 132kV line, Itu-Calabar 132kV line, produce a status report and single line diagram of the 132k V line.

The committee is also expected to conduct joint commissioning of the 132kV line, including funding requirements, alongside the 132kV project.

It was also saddled with the task of connecting 330kV transmission lines to ALSCON, including the funding requirements to complete the project and to produce a status project report and SLD of the 330k V Line, and conduct a joint commissioning of the project.

Inaugurating the committee, the minister of power emphasised the project’s importance, which he said would contribute to the country’s economic growth and development. He said the federal government wanted ALSCON to begin operations.

He  also charged all the agencies involved in revamping the company to work as a team to ensure that it came alive within a very short time.

Mr Adelabu urged the committee to develop a practical working solution. According to him, ALSCON will have a positive impact on the country’s economy.

”Power is a critical enabler for continuous operation in the plant and could lead to economic growth. It will increase local capacity and create jobs for our people,” stated Mr Adelabu. “So, we need to accelerate its activities and avoid delays. We need a lot of collaboration and cooperation to achieve this desired result.”

The minister, while recalling his visit to the company in October 2025, added that ALSCON had reached out to the ministry on several occasions regarding the importance of reliable, stable, and uninterrupted power at the plant and the need for the plant to be connected to the national grid.

Viacheslav Krylov, a representative of UC Rusal, the major shareholder of ALSCON, said that the company was ready to work with the federal government to address the challenges facing the power sector, especially in the provision of electricity.

He said that ALSCON had in-built gas-fired turbines with a capacity of 540 megawatts for power generation, primarily for operations. He, however, added  that the excesses would be transferred to the grid.

Mr Krylov also noted that an alternative power supply was important for emergencies to ensure the plant’s continuous operation when the gas supply line is disrupted, and therefore highlighted the need for a grid connection.

(NAN)