FG eyes 40MW Kashimbilla hydropower plant to boost power supply

….says project will facilitate development of SMEs in Taraba, Benue

The National grid may soon get a major boost with the addition of 40 megawatts from the Kashimbilla hydropower plant which is expected to facilitate the development of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Taraba and Benue States.

Adebayo Adelabu, the minister of power who spoke during the inspection of the project noted that the surrounding communities in Taraba state especially those displaced by the Dam construction are already benefitting from the 10 megawatts currently being distributed directly from the 40 megawatts capacity plant.

The minister in a statement issued by his special adviser on communication Bolaji Tunji, said that the four turbines installed in Kashimbilla power plant are working well and generating 100 percent of the installed capacity.

“The power plant has an installed capacity of 40 megawatts but only 10 megawatts is presently being evacuated. Kashimbilla Power plant with its state-of-the-art technology which includes automated tracking and monitoring system (SCADA), is working effectively.

“This inspection visit is to ensure accelerated completion of the facilities to ensure the remaining 30 megawatts are evacuated. We have begun the process and we have the assurance of the contractors that this would be completed within the next six months to one year.

“The moment we are done with the evacuation infrastructure the stranded 30 megawatts will be evacuated, the entire four turbines will be working at full capacity of 10 megawatts each to make 40 megawatts and this will increase the generation capacity that will be evacuated into the national grid,” he said.

Stressing that the project was in line with President Tinubu’s mandate of ensuring adequate access to electricity, Adelabu expressed displeasure over the stranded 30 megawatts adding that it was not economically good for the country, hence the need to ensure the accelerated completion of the evacuation infrastructure.

He maintained that more efforts were ongoing towards improving power generating capacity across the power plants.

“We will also work on strengthening and expanding the capacity of the transmission grid so that as more power is generated, they can actually be wheeled to the grid. We are working on the infrastructure so that the DISCOs have enough to distribute to electricity consumers.”

In his remarks, Sule Ahmed Abdulazeez, the managing director of Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), said that efforts were on top gear to make sure that the 132KV transmission line from Yandev to Apir in Markudi, is completed.

“By the time that transmission line is ready, we can evacuate all the power from the Kashimbilla plant”, he said.