From Paul Osuyi, Asaba
An Independent Power Plant generating 8.5 Megawatts of electricity for Asaba in Delta State has been commissioned by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.
The project was executed in partnership with a private entity, Bastanchury Power Solutions Nigeria Limited.
The plant with over 25 kilometres of complimentary underground cables is to supply power to all the state government assets and facilities in Asaba.
The chairman of the company, Mr Chidi Goziem told journalists that the impact would rob off on the entire Asaba community through improved power supply and security.
Speaking further on the project, Niran Ajakaiye, the company’s Managing Director, said the project came to fruition because of the state government’s commitment to buy the power generated.
Ajakaiye said with government assets fully supplied from the IPP, the load shedding in Asaba metropolis from the electricity distribution companies would be reduced to the barest minimum.
He said the supply that would have come from the distribution companies to the state government institutions would be redistributed to households and other corporate organisations, translating to longer hours of electricity supply for the capital city.
“The partnership is that we said we will build, finish everything, then the state made the commitment to buy power from us.
“Everything here is funded by us not by the state. Their part is that they committed to buy, they guaranteed an off-take for us.
“Now, they are enjoying it, even paying cheaper than what they would have gotten from DISCO because it is a bulk purchase, so you can negotiate a discount
“All the government assets in Asaba are covered, it is like buying a big generator for all your assets,” he said.
Ajakaiye emphasized that local businesses would also thrive because of a more regular power supply, noting that “if all the government facilities are taken off the grid, DISCO can now provide sustainable longer coverage to other areas, reducing load shedding to a very minimal per cent.
“That is the multiplier effect, business will grow because they would not load shedding. Government hospitals, public health centres, the courts, street lights, airport and other institutions of government are all connected to this IPP.”
He debunked rumours that the plant was built without Environmental Impact Assessment, insisting that the state government had no equity stake in the enterprise but that five per cent was magnanimously gifted to the state.
Saying that the company has the capacity to expand its areas of coverage outside government facilities, Ajakaiye said the laws would need to be revisited to do that.