Yemisi Izuora
The Benin Electricity Distribution Company, BEDC Electricity Plc. has blamed transmission constraints to its inability to sustain efficient services in parts of Ondo state.
He however, assured residents of Ondo South that it is committed to providing power to their various communities provided the federal Government through the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) addresses the present technical constraints that impede power distribution to the areas.
The Disco, while reacting to power supply issues in some parts of Ondo South raised by Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State, urged him to put pressures on TCN and other federal government- related institutions to create an enabling environment to enable the company serve its customers better by addressing these technical constraints.
These constraints according BEDC includes; the repair of the faulty breaker on the 30MVA TCN transformer which affected voltage to Ondo South axis causing very poor and none useful power ‘candle light’.
The BEDC also called for the replacement of the unstable Ife/Oshogbo 132KV undersized line and the recommencing/completion of the proposed 132/33KV, 2x 60MVA at Erinje in Okitipupa which will provide capacity for up to 90megawatts of power when completed.
“In order to have a lasting and complete solution to Ondo South electricity need as well as have a lasting solution to Ondo state general power limitations, the permanent solution is for TCN to complete the proposed 132/33KV, 2x60MVA at Erinje in Okitipupa project which has been awarded by NDDC and abandoned as well as replace the unstable Ife/Oshogbo 132KV undersized line” BEDC said.
When this is completed, BEDC said it will be able to take the transmitted power and distribute same to customers in other parts of Ondo South, but noted “this will only serve an additional 25 per cent of the power needs in this area. This is because the estimated total power supply needed is 47.6MW and only additional 11MW will be available from this TCN source, hence there would still be a shortfall of about 36.6MW”.
Th BEDC management said that in January it collaborated with Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) using National Independent Power Project (NIPP) to restore power supply to Ode-Aye town in Okitipupa and Igbokoda in Ilaje local government area of Ondo South by rehabilitating the distribution network in a phased manner and by bypassing major load using centers.
“This was done to demonstrate to customers in Ondo South axis that the network was ready to receive and distribute power when TCN makes same available” the company added.
The Disco said that since 2015, it has escalated to Ondo State Government, Federal Ministry of Power and Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) that the issue of power supply to major parts of Ondo South is largely and principally affected by TCN constraint.
It added: “TCN has not been able to transmit adequate power to BEDC in Ondo State and especially in part of Ondo South due to its technical constraints which has led to its existing problem of none availability of power in these locations.”
“We wish to state categorically that as a service provider, BEDC is not comfortable watching a large proportion of its customers located in Ondo state and most especially in several locations in Ondo South without supply for so many years.
The reality however is that in line with existing methodology of buying and transmitting bulk power from TCN grid, such power which is purchased by BEDC is what is distributed to our customers in all areas.” BEDC stated.