TheCable

Adebayo Adelabu, minister of power, says plans are underway to evacuate the dormant 30 megawatts (MW) in the Kashimbilla hydropower plant to the national grid.

Bolaji Tunji, special adviser on strategic communications and media relations to Adebayo Adelabu, minister of power, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday.

In May 2023, former president Muhammadu Buhari, inaugurated the Kashimbila multipurpose dam, 40 MW hydropower station and associated 132 kilovolts (KV) switchyard, transmission line and distribution substation (phase one), all in Taraba state.

According to Tunji, the minister spoke during an inspection tour of the power plant in Taraba State and the 56 kilometre (km) and the 132 KV transmission line from Yandev to Makurdi in Benue State.

Adelabu said the Kashimbilla power plant with its state-of-the-art technology which includes an automated tracking and monitoring system and supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) was working effectively.

He said once the evacuation infrastructure is completed, the four turbines would evacuate the 40 megawatts, effectively.

”This inspection visit is to ensure accelerated completion of the facilities in order to ensure that the remaining 30MW is evacuated,” the minister said.

”We have begun the process and we have the assurance of the contractors that this will be completed within the next six months to one year.”

Adelabu who also visited the 132KV and 33KV substation in Amua, Gboko local government area of Benue, said the four turbines installed in Kashimbilla power plant were working perfectly and generating 100 percent of the installed capacity.

The minister, while expressing displeasure that 30 megawatts were stranded, said it was not in the country’s economic interest, hence the need to ensure accelerated completion of the evacuation.

”The project is in line with the ”Renewed Hope Agenda” of President Bola Tinubu in ensuring that electricity is taken to every nook and cranny of the country,” he said.

Adelabu also said more efforts will be put in place towards improving power generating capacity across the 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,” he said.

”We are also working on the infrastructure, so that distribution companies (DisCos) have enough power to distribute to electricity consumers.”

On his part, Sule Abdulaziz, managing director of Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) said efforts were on to ensure that the 132KV transmission line from Yandev to Apir in Makurdi is completed.

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

Speaking on the second phase of the evacuation, Abubakar Ali-Dapshima, director, renewable and rural access department, ministry of power, said the 40MW would be evacuated completely to the grid.

Ali-Dapshima said the new addition is expected to facilitate the development of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Taraba and Benue States.