The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, on Monday, inspected the Duport Energy Park promoted by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and Duport Midstream Company Limited in Orhionmwon Local Government Area (LGA) of the state.
The Energy Park has 10,000 barrel-per-day refining capacity, a 50 megawatts plant capacity, a 60 million scf gas processing plant and over 100 RAM data bank centre.
The facility, on the back of ease of doing business reforms by the Obaseki-led administration, is the second refinery completed in the state, following closely behind the 6000bpd Edo Refinery constructed by AIPCC Energy Limited and Peiyang Chemical Equipment Company Limited.
The governor was accompanied on the inspection by the Commissioners for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare; Roads and Bridges, Newton Okojie, and Oil and Gas, Ethan Uzamere, among others.
Obaseki who was taken round the facility by Chairman of the Company, Mr. Akintoye Akindele said, “We are excited and pleased because all our Memorandum of Understanding (MOUs) are becoming a reality. I am here to personally see the progress of work here in this facility after my presentation to investors in Lagos State last week.”
He continued: “I am here to personally see the progress of work and witness the first day test run of this facility. As a government, we are here to witness another breakthrough and a major leap in terms of investment in the state.
“We reiterate our support for what you are doing here, as this project is one of a kind and we will give it 100 percent backing. This is the first Energy Park in Nigeria and the continent.
“Due to the benefits and advantages that we have in Edo State to have onshore oil and gas production, we are now attracting investors to utilize that production locally. Our goal is that every drop of crude oil and gas produced in Edo State is used here for our national development rather than exporting it.
“The idea of this park is to bring in all the production of adjoining oil and gas fields; the oil is separated and refined to other products while the gas used and processed for electricity generation and sale. In a matter of a few months, we have to deregulate; that means gas will be cheaper.”
On the reconstruction of the Ugo-Egbokor-Evboeghae-Ogan Road leading to the facililty, Obaseki noted, “I have seen the roads infrastructure and we are here with our Commissioner for Roads and Bridges and immediately the rain subsides in the next few weeks, the contractor will come to site and begin to rehabilitate the road.”
He added, “Edo State now has a new electricity law that creates an electricity market. This means that the government has the power and authority to give licenses to people who want to do electricity businesses in Edo State. Now that you have the capacity, l urge and encourage you to expand that capacity to about 50 megawatts and encourage distributors to come in and buy power so that they can sell electricity to some areas. We are interested in attracting investors to Abudu, Evbuesi and surrounding communities.
“As a government, we will be sensitizing communities and finalise our plans to design a whole new town around the oil and gas operation in this location between Oben, Ugo and Evbuesi. The new town will have all the modern facilities required.”
Chairman, Duport Midstream Energy Park, Mr. Akintoye Akindele said his organisation have built a scalable facility with the infrastructure for a 10,000 barrel per day refinery, adding, “Our starting capacity is 2,500 barrel of refining capacity per day; 5 megawatts power capacity, 40 million scuff of gas capacity and 80 RAM data centre.”
