The federal government has announced plans to evacuate the remaining 30 megawatts (MW) of electricity from the Kashimbilla hydropower plant in Taraba State to the national grid.
The Kashimbilla power plant, which has an installed capacity of 40 megawatts, is currently evacuating only 10 megawatts due to incomplete transmission infrastructure.
The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, disclosed this during an inspection tour of the power plant and the 56-kilometre 132 kilovolt (KV) transmission line from Yandev in Benue State to Makurdi, the state capital.
According to a statement by his media aide, Bolaji Tunji, the minister said the power plant was equipped with state-of-the-art technology, including an automated tracking and monitoring system (SCADA), and was working effectively.
He said the four turbines at the plant would be able to evacuate the full 40 megawatts once the transmission infrastructure is completed.
“We have begun the process, and we have the assurance of the contractors that this will be completed within the next six months to one year. The moment we are done with the evacuation infrastructure, the stranded 30 MW will be evacuated, and the four turbines will be working at full capacity of 10 megawatts each to make 40. And this will increase the generation capacity that will be evacuated into the national grid,” he said.
The minister also visited the 132/33KV substation in Amua, Gboko Local Government Area of Benue, where he said the four turbines at the Kashimbilla power plant were generating 100 per cent of their installed capacity.
He explained that the Kashimbilla project was in two phases, adding that phase one, which had been completed, included two 60 megavolt ampere (MVA) substations in Takum and Wukari local government areas of Taraba State, and a 7.5 MVA substation in Donga Local Government Area of the same state.
He said phase two involved the construction of the 56-kilometre transmission lines and a 132/33KVA substation in Yandev, Benue, where the power would be connected to the national grid.
The minister expressed displeasure that 30 megawatts of electricity was stranded at the Kashimbilla power plant, saying it was not in the country’s economic interest.
He said the project was in line with the “Renewed Hope Agenda” of Bola Tinubu, who had pledged to ensure that electricity was taken to every nook and cranny of the country.
He said more efforts would be made to improve power generation capacity across the plants.
The managing director of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Sule Abdulaziz, who accompanied the minister on the tour, said efforts were on to ensure that the 132KV transmission line from Yandev to Apir in Makurdi was completed.
(NAN)