Nigeria is seeking a bidder for the 700 megawatts (MW) Zungeru hydropower plant in Niger state, The Bureau Of Public Enterprises (BPE) said in a document published on its website.

The government is looking for a competent concessionaire to operate, manage and maintain the hydropower plant for 30 years.

The bidding process will have two stages, the qualification and bid stages, with the request for qualification deadline being November 24, 2022.

The document said that shortlisted applicants would be invited to the second phase of the bidding.

The plant comprises a reservoir at an elevation of 230 metres and a powerhouse having four 175 MW turbine/generating units for a total rated output of 700MW.

The government's decision to construct the hydroelectric power plant at Zungeru Niger State is to provide the much-needed sustainable power supply to the country using the potential energy of water stored in a reservoir to operate turbines.

The project has reached 96 percent completion and will be commissioned by the first quarter of 2023, Premium Times newspaper reported, citing Minister of Power Abubakar Aliyu. 

(Editing by Seban Scaria seban.scaria@lseg.com )