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The Makurdi Hydropower Project (Makurdi HPP) was originally conceived as part of the Plan For Electric Power System Development issued by the then National Electric Power Authority [NEPA] in 1974. The planned dam site is located on the Benue River, the primary tributary of the Niger River in Nigeria, about 15 ~ 20 km upstream of Makurdi, the capital of Benue State.
In the initial feasibility study report of the Makurdi HPP completed by Motor-Columbus Engineers, Inc., of Baden, Switzerland and G. F. Appio & Associates of Nigeria in 1979, the hydropower scheme was to be developed mainly for power generation and flood control, with irrigation, fisheries development and improved river navigation as ancillary benefits. The installed capacity was projected at 1,100 MW. The reservoir was capable of yearly regulation, with a normal pool level of 100.0 m (available head: 30 m) and a regulating storage of 21.0 x 10⁹ m³.
The proposed dam had an axial length of 10.3 km and a maximum height of 72 m above bedrock. The flood discharge structures, consisting of gate-controlled emergency spillways with crest overflowing orifices and bottom discharge orifices, were to be arranged on the left riverbed, with an overflow net width of 180 m, and a maximum discharge flow of 32,100 m³/s under PMF. The powerhouse was arranged on the left riverbed, close to the flood discharge structure. 6 Kaplan turbine units each rated at 183MW (6*183 MW) were to be installed in the powerhouse, and the projected average annual energy generation was 6,000 GWh. The estimated implementation cost of the project was =N=1,276 million [USD 2,042 million, in 1979 dollars], and the project was adjudged both technically and economically feasible and was recommended for development as early as possible in order to meet increasing national electric power demands.
As a result of new techno-economic feasibility studies carried out by IPDC and Sinohydro between 2015 and 2017, the project salient characteristics and design parameters arising from updated and refined data necessitated an upward revision of the scope and energy yield of the dam based on total site developable resources assessed at 2,400MW, but constrained by inundation impacts to 1,650MW installed capacity and average energy output of 8,762.4 GWh per annum.
