By Adewale Sanyaolu
Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) says it has put on hold a bilateral agreement with Niger Delta Power Holding Company for the supply of 100 Megawatts over liquidity constraints.
The company stated this during this was disclosed during the working visit of the Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu to EKEDC headquarters recently.
‘‘Recall that EKEDC stated that it had a bilateral agreement with Niger Delta Power Holding Company for the supply of 100 Megawatts apart from the allocation from the grid. This arrangement is currently on hold due to liquidity constraints, but talks are underway to resuscitate the arrangement and increase it.’’
The firm added that it receives a little over 500 mega watts of electricity during stable periods, representing between 12 and 15 per cent of the available power from the grid.
But, in other to augment the allocation form the national grid, the utility firm said it has come up with many innovative solutions aimed at boosting power supply across its franchise area.
According to Eko Disco, the company has signed partnership deals with independent power producers.
The firm, it added has partnered Elektron Energy in 2023 to deliver a 30 Megawatts gas-fired embedded power generation project in Victoria Island, Lagos. This, it noted, will add a stead and uninterruptible 30 Megawatts to customers within the Victoria Island axis for improved power supply.
‘‘While this project is ongoing, the company is also in talks with other Independent Power Producers to improve power supply to Lekki customers as the demand for improved power supply increases,’’.
To ensure equity and transparency, EKEDC disclosed that it was committed to bridging the metering gap entirely by 2028 with a realistic and achievable plan of metering 120,000 customers yearly within the next five years.
The plan, it said, was sectioned into each district with the Company’s network putting the number of single-phase and three-phase meters to be installed.
On investment, EKEDC said it recently commissioned a state-of-the-art 2 X 20 MVA Randle Injection Substation for customers within the Surulere axis of its franchise area.
The substation, it said, adds about 30 Megawatts of power to that area will profile relief for existing substations thereby removing the possibility of load-shedding.
The Chairman, Board of Directors of EKEDC, Mr Dere Otubu, assured that the Agbara community is next in line to witness what was witnessed by the people of Surulere.
He further mentioned the challenges faced in the Lekki-Epe corridors and stated the steps undertaken by the company.
Adelabu commended EKEDC for its strides towards improved service delivery, infrastructural upgrades and customer satisfaction and charged the company to do more in terms of its capacity to distribute power to customers.
He noted that the Federal Government is set to make EKEDC a model distribution company to others while the FG works on increasing generation and transmission capacities. He urged the company to be ready to work with the FG in solving the electricity puzzle in the coming months.
EKEDC listed some of the ongoing projects that will help offtake additional power supply to customers, to include; the construction of a new Festac III 33kV feeder, the construction of an additional 15MVA; 33/11kV Power Transformer at the Lekki Injection Substation, the construction of a new 33kV Aluminium Underground Cable with Outdoor Bay, the upgrade of Agungi Injection Substation to 2 X 15MVA, among others.
Others include the construction of new 33 and 11 KVA lines while massive rehabilitation of current feeders is ongoing.