Power: New transmission line may raise grid by 1,300mw soon
The new Alaoji to Ikot Ekpene transmission line constructed under the National Integrated Power Projects (NIPP) could raise the national grid by over 1,300 megawatts (mw) of electricity when commissioned this month, the checks indicate.
Daily Trust
The 330KV Direct Circuit (DC) transmission line which links the 540mw Alaoji NIPP generation plant in Abia State, with the 563mw Calabar NIPP, other generating plants, as well as a mega Switching Station in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State, has been enmeshed in hurdles of right of ways and other litigations for over two years, it was gathered.
However, at the recent power sector stakeholders’ meeting in Sokoto, the handling firm, the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) disclosed that the issues have been finally resolved and the line which passes through Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Abia and Enugu states widely called the North-South Loop was ready for commissioning by month end.
The Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA) is scheduled to run some checks on the lines and certify it safe before it will be commissioned, the NDPHC said, noting that the line would cause a huge improvement in power transmission capability.
The Daily Trust reports that in August 2015, the NDPHC reported the hacking of one of the transmission towers in Oronta village of Abia State valued at N40 million. The transmission line is said to help deliver over 1,390mw from three NIPP plants including the Alaoji, Calabar and the 330mw Egbema plant in Imo State.
Former Executive Director, Legal and Company Secretary, Mr Abdullahi Salisu, of NDPHC, who addressed newsmen then said the 132/330KV transmission tower worth N40 million was hacked down even after the community was duly compensated after obtaining a Right of Way (RoW ) for the over 200km line to Ikot Ekpene in Akwa Ibom.
The NDPHC former Executive Director on Networks, Dr. Albert Okorogu, had told Daily Trust last year that the sabotage and encroachment of transmission facilities across Imo, Enugu, Abia and Cross River states is causing a lot of stranded power.
“These powers are stranded in our generation plants with people frustrating its evacuation and distribution to the nation,” he said.
In an observation trip through the 330 Kilovoltage (KV) transmission line then, our reporter saw the new structures that were erected right under the line which is dangerous when they are energised for power evacuation.
Daily Trust learnt that some of these projects should have been completed since two years, long before the power plants were completed and ready for firing but have taken over four years with the plants ready and stranded at a time where the electricity supply is grossly inadequate for Nigerians.
Most residents who spoke on the issue said there were cases of under compensation by the government which had triggered the structures’ erection.
In June this year, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State during a courtesy visit to the past management of the NDPHC in Abuja urged them to fast track the completion of the line which he said would boost power supply to the state and spark off more industrial activities.