The Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) has flagged off construction of a 330 kilovolt (KV) transmission substation worth N5.49 billion in Lafia, the Nasarawa state capital.
The Managing Director of NDPHC, Chiedu Ugbo at the site yesterday said the project which will be completed this year will add about 300 megawatts (MW) of electricity capacity to the state.
He said, "There are several components of the project which will cost about $18 million (about N5.49bn at N305 CBN exchange rate). This project will be commissioned this year as we are working aggressively and committed to achieving that before the estimated time."
Mr Ugbo lauded President Muhammadu Buhari for his commitment to the power sector and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo for giving the directive on the project as the board chairman of NDPHC. "The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola has given us tremendous support to ensure the project gets off the ground," he added.
The NDPHC boss said the Governor, Umaru Tanko Al-Makura requested for the project to improve power supply across the state. "We know how passionate the governor is about this project and we are working with him. He has been quite supportive and delivered this land to us with the Certificate of Occupancy," Ugbo noted.
Mr Ugbo noted that the substation comprising 2 x 150MVA transformers and 2 x 60MVA transformers will get its power source from the Ikot Ekpene transmission switching station in Akwa Ibom state, passing through Ugwuaji in Enugu to Makurdi, and to Lafia before reaching Jos substation.
"What that means is that we have the capacity to drop 300MW here and we also move to the transforming substation to drop 120MW. The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) is building another 120MVA transformer substation here which means we will be able to push out at least 240MW," Ugbo explained.
NDPHC said while the new substation will improve supply around Lafia that now depends on a 93 kilometre distribution line from Akwanga with low voltage, it will serve as the third source for Abuja which depends on the transmission lines from Shiroro and Geregu Generation Companies (GenCos).
