When completed, the 1×7.5MVA, 33/11KV injection substation being built by the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC), will add 15MW to the electricity supply in Ekiti state, Executive Director, Networks, Mr. IfeOluwa Oyedele, has disclosed.
The facility with associated 33KV/11KV and installed four 500KVA distribution substation transformers located in Ido-Ekiti, Ekiti, Oyedele said, would improve the socio economic wellbeing of the people of the benefiting communities.
Speaking in the town during the
ground-breaking ceremony of the construction of the substation, Oyedele
revealed that NDPHC had completed five injection substations in Ekiti
state since its inception.
In addition, he stated that the company since it began operations in
2004 has constructed a total of 18 substations, which are now
operational throughout the country.
He said: “ The facility is for the
entire local government because the power requirement of Ekiti state is
in the region of about 250MW. When you add 10 to 15MW to that kind of
load, you will see it is substantial.
“And when you reinforce this, it will relieve other substations of the
load that they are presently carrying. It is something that the entire
community and its environs will benefit from.”
He said the commencement of the project followed a tripartite ad-hoc committee comprising the NDPHC, Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) and Ekiti state government representative to assess ways of improving supply.
“We have about five already completed distribution projects in the Ekiti state from the inception of NDPHC, ”he added.
Oyedele also disclosed that the company has constructed and commissioned over 350 injection substations with a combined capacity of about 3540MW across the country.
“NDPHC since its inception has completed 2,194km and 887km of 330kV and 132kV transmission lines respectively. This is in addition to completed 10 new 330/132kV substations and eight new 132/33kV substations which are connected to the national grid, thus significantly adding 5590MVA and 3493MVA capacities at 330kV and 132kV levels respectively,” he added.
In the last 14 years, he noted that NPDC had built generation stations to the capacity of 5,000MW, which he said has doubled the generation capacity of Nigeria.
“Right now, we have over 10 projects that are at the 99 per cent completed. If you remove all the lines constructed by NDPHC, Nigeria will probably be in darkness, ”Oyedele said.
Governor of Ekiti state, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, who noted that the power supply to the state was grossly inadequate, stated that the substation when completed will bridge the supply gap in the state and called for its early completion.
Also speaking, the Olujodo of Ido-Ekiti, Ayorinde Faboro, assured that with the project, businesses that had relocated from the community would come back, lamenting that the people had suffered untold hardship because of lack of power.
“We are 13 communities in Ido-Osi Local Government and all the communities will benefit from this project. Now, we are getting our light from Omu Aran when the light is coming, it will first step down at Otun.
“So, sometimes in a week, we don’t have light. In a month, we hardly get up to 50 hours of electricity, which is very poor. But with this substation, we will not be waiting for these people to ration us light. Rather, we will now have power here and still give to other communities, ”he said.