The federal government says plans are on to evacuate the dormant 30 megawatts (MW) in the Kashimbilla hydropower plant to the national grid.

The Kashimbilla hydropower plant has an installed capacity of 40 megawatts, but only 10 megawatts are being evacuated.

Power Minister Adebayo Adelabu said this while on an inspection tour of the power plant in Taraba State and the 56 Kilometre (km) and the 132 KiloVolt (KV) transmission line from Yandev to Makurdi in Benue State.

According to a statement by his media aide Bolaji Tunji, the minister said the Kashimbilla power plant, with its state-of-the-art technology, which includes Automated Tracking and Monitoring System (SCADA), was working effectively.

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

”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.

“The moment we are done with the evacuation infrastructure, the stranded 30 MW will be evacuated, and the four turbines will be working at full capacity of 10 megawatts each to make 40.

” And this will increase the generation capacity that will be evacuated into the national grid,” he said.

Mr Adelabu, who also visited the 132/33KV substation in Amua, Gboko Local Government Area of Benue, said the four turbines installed in the Kashimbilla power plant were working perfectly and generating 100 per cent of installed capacity.

The minister said the Kashimbilla project was in two phases, adding that phase one, which has been completed, includes 2×60 Mega Volt Ampere (MVA) substations in Takum and Wukari local government areas.

Mr Adelabu said it also includes a 2×7.5 MVA substation in the Donga Local Government Area of Taraba.

He said the project’s phase two includes the construction of the 56km transmission lines and the construction of 132/33KVA substation in Yandev, Benue, where the generated power will be wheeled to the national grid.

The minister, while expressing displeasure that 30 megawatts was 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 added.

He said more efforts will be put in place to improve power generating capacity across the plants.

Also, Sule Abdulaziz, the 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.

(NAN)