Ekiti state government on Thursday, November 2, tested the Independent Power Project (IPP) as part of efforts to boost electricity supply in the State.
The independent power station which was initiated by former governor Kayode Fayemi-led government and completed by incumbent Governor Biodun Oyebanji, was one in the series of interventions to address inherent challenges in electricity supply to the state.
In a chat with our reporter on Sunday, November 5, in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, the commissioner for Infrastructure, Prof. Bolaji Aluko said the project had been tested successfully for two weeks with 700kw distributed so far out of the 3.5 megawatts.
Aluko added that the test which covered the Governorโs Office, Government House, State Secretariat Complex, House of Assembly Complex, Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, (EKSUTH), and streetlights along major roads in the metropolis among others, would be expanded to cover private concerns on a willing buyer, willing seller basis.
The Technical Director of Ekiti IPP Limited, Odunayo Lanre-Bamodu, said the project is fully in operation and it has been working perfectly for about two weeks, noting that government facilities across Ado Ekiti are benefiting from the electricity source.
Bamodu noted that the project is a metropolitan power source with 11kilometers underground distribution network, as well as several substations and Ring Main Units (RMUs), two generating sets of 1.5MW and 1.25MW, totaling 2.65MW, is in place for the power plant, adding that there is room for expansion.
Stressing that the project runs a 24-hour uninterrupted power supply, Bamodu said that individuals and corporate organizations can benefit from the plant as there is provision for expansion in the future.
She also said that Ekiti IPP Limited has commenced training and retraining of people to impact and transfer knowledge adding that indigenous youths would benefit tremendously from the project in the form of job opportunities and acquisition of knowledge.
