As the commissioning date of the 188-megawatt Geometric Power plant in the Osisioma Industrial Area of Aba, Abia State approaches, a prominent figure in Nigeria’s power sector has outlined the transformative potential of the integrated power project.
Ben Caven, a seasoned authority in the field, who boasts a rich background including executive roles at the defunct National Power Authority of Nigeria (NEPA), addressed over 150 electrical and electronics students of Michael Okpara Federal University of Agriculture in Umudike, Umuahia, Abia State. He emphasized, “Geometric Power will make a fundamental difference in electricity delivery because of its insistence on using world-class electricity infrastructure.”
Highlighting the commitment to quality, Caven noted, “All turbines installed at the power plant are from General Electric, the world’s leader in electricity equipment manufacturing, despite the cost.”
Addressing the choice of equipment, he remarked, “Most other firms could have gone for less costly machines after all the customer revenue will be collected in the local naira currency.”
Caven, currently serving as the Managing Director of GPL within the Geometric Power Group, detailed the efforts to ensure quality and reliability, stating, “Four brand new power transformers have been installed and three old ones refurbished to ensure quality and constant power supply to nine of the 17 local government areas in Abia State serviced by Aba Power, also a member of the Geometric Power Group.”
Discussing infrastructure resilience, he highlighted, “The tubular poles installed in the Aba electricity ringed fence are found only in a few world cities like Tokyo in Japan and San Francisco in the United States because they can withstand such natural calamities as earthquakes.”
Caven underlined the meticulous installation process, stating, “Though our tubular poles are high so that they cannot easily be fouled by trees and vehicles which cause electricity blackouts, each of them is buried about 10 meters in the ground at a tremendous cost to the company.”
On local content, he remarked, “We have also provided 150,000 kilometers of brand new overhead wires and cables in these LGAs. All the wires are from Nigerian indigenous companies like Cutix plc in Nnewi, Anambra State, and Coleman Company in Arepo, Ogun State, and we are proud to state that they are better than most wires and cables in the world.”
Discussing broader support for local industries, Caven mentioned, “Geometric Power has extended its promotion of Nigerian content to vehicle acquisition, noting that all the vehicles procured by the firm in the last two years were made in the country.”
He added a personal endorsement, saying, “I use an Innoson truck myself, and it compares favorably with Hilux by Toyota, yet it costs a fraction of the Toyota product.”
During the visit, the students were given a tour of the Geometric Power premises by a team of electrical, mechanical, and safety engineers.
Expressing gratitude, Chimdi Ahamefule, the leader of the visiting students, said, “This is the most rewarding visit we have ever made.”
Gerald Diyoke, the electrical engineering lecturer who led the students, commended the company for its contributions despite economic challenges, expressing confidence that “power outages and load shedding will become history in the area once the Geometric Power thermal plant is commissioned.”
