FG To Commission 10mw Katsina wind Power Month End
The federal government is set to commission a section of the 10 megawatts (MW) Katsina wind power plant by month end, the Daily Trust reports.
The Project began in 2010 and became stalled after a French contractor was abducted. Officials had reported 95 per cent in 2015 but was not completed.
Briefing officials of the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing and a delegation from the Katsina state government, the consultant and Assistant Project Manager for O.T. Otis Engineering, Pius Onyenagubo said the plant could come alive this month.
He said installation of 15 wind turbines are 100 per cent completed while the team awaits materials in few weeks to fully install 19 other turbines.
“The 15 fully installed turbines will be commissioned by the end of March while the others will be commissioned by the end of the year,” he said.
During the assessment of the project site, the officials said nine of the 15 installed turbines were operational and could deliver 4.5 megawatts (MW) while six others require some maintenance work to be done within the week.
Four of the uninstalled turbines were said to be vandalised by suspected locals of Tankers area of the state with most of the wires carted away.
When operational, the generated power will be sent through the Liyafa Injection substation and would supply electricity to the nearby communities.
The Director, Energy Resources at the ministry (Power), Olatunbosun Owoeye said the ministry will hold the contractor accountable to deliver while government will clear outstanding payments and provide access road to facilitate the entire completion this year.
“We are trying to also address the issue of vandalism and inadequate payment as each cable been vandalized is about 50 meters each which will cost government a lot of money.”
Owoeye who represented the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola said “So we hope it will be completed by the end of the year as stated by the contractor since we now have a budget.”
Responding, the Katsina state governor who was represented by the Special adviser on energy and power, Engr. Mansur Mohammed Musa, re-assured of their commitment to see the project commissioned.
He said, “If it’s realized, it will improve the social and economic life of the people as the situation of power in Katsina is really bad.”
“The demand estimated is about 100MW but we hardly get 30MW to 50MW which is inadequate and we need projects like this to come on and add to the capacity,” Musa noted.
Source: DAILYTRUST
