Nigeria's first ever Independent Power Plant (IPP), capable of generating 480 mega watts of electricity, with possible expansion to 960 mega watts, has been commissioned by President Olusegun Obasanjo at Okpai in Delta State.

The commissioning of the plant represents a significant stride in reducing gas flaring - 75 million standard cubic feet of gas per day (scfd) currently being flared will feed the plant.

The $480million project by Agip Oil Company Limited (NOAC) was constructed by NNPC/Agip Joint Venture, and will be contributing 15% to the current generation by the National Electric Power Authority (NNPC).

The Agip Kwale/Okpai plant is a combined cycle plant and also the first of its king in Africa.

The IPP, which is to utilize 75million scfd of gas per day, is the first in a series of IPPs planned to be constructed in the country by the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and its joint partners to meet President Obasanjo's target of generating 10,000 mega watts of electricity for the nation by 2007.