The University of Port Harcourt’s new solar power project drew high-level attention today as the Governing Council, led by Chairman Senator Mao Ohuabunwa, made an unscheduled visit to the construction site. Council members were guided on a tour of the facility by the project’s engineers and consultants.
According to an official update on Friday, May 23, from the university’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Owunari Georgewill, the team “was impressed by the progress of the work done so far.”
StarReporters gathered that the inspection followed a recent shift in the expected completion date for the 10.7 megawatt (MW) plant, now targeted for June/July 2025.
The project is funded by the Federal Government (FG) through the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), with support from the African Development Bank (AfDB). It forms part of the Federal Government’s Energising Education Programme (EEP) Phase III—an initiative aimed at providing independent power plants to Federal Universities (FUs). Once completed, the installation will supply clean, uninterrupted electricity to the main campus and the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH).
With a generation capacity of 10.7 MW, the system spans approximately 15 hectares and includes thousands of photovoltaic panels, inverters, and a large lithium-ion battery bank for storage.
Professor Georgewill noted that the solar farm will eventually provide “24/7, 52 weeks, 365 days” of power to UniPort, significantly alleviating the university’s chronic power shortages.
The inspection revealed that construction is well underway. Site clearing and fencing have been completed, and steel mounting racks and foundations for the panel arrays are already in place. Contractors say the project will feature over 3,300 solar panels and about 1.5 MW of battery storage capacity to stabilise output, although the official capacity remains 10.7 MW. Engineers on site confirmed that major components—including panel frames, cabling channels, and a control house—are nearing completion.
According to project reports, Eauxwell, a renewable energy firm, is among the contractors executing the work and has publicly committed to the timely delivery of the 10.8 megawatt-peak (MWp) plant.
During the tour, Senator Ohuabunwa and his colleagues inspected foundations, electrical systems, and other infrastructure across the fenced solar plot. Although no direct quote from the senator was released, Council members praised the scale of the project and its rapid progress.
With the final handover just weeks away, the team expressed confidence that the minor delay would not compromise the project’s overall objectives. “The work is moving at a good pace,” one engineer told the visiting officials, while another noted that all permitting and testing schedules remained on track.
Once commissioned, the UniPort solar farm is expected to significantly reduce the university’s electricity bills and dependence on diesel generators. It is also expected to improve street lighting and enhance public safety on campus roads.