By AbdulRaheem Aodu
Kaduna
Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Raji Fashola has commissioned two power transformers in Zaria and Funtua.
The Minister said that the installation and commissioning of the 40MVA mobile transformer in Zaria, Kaduna substation and 60MVA power transformer in Funtua, Katsina substation was part of the efforts of the present government to ameliorate the challenges encountered in generation and distribution of power supply across the country.
Speaking at the commissioning of the mobile transformer in Zaria, Fashola, who was represented by the Minister of State for Power, Works and Housing, Mustapha Baba Shehuri said: “This particular mobile substation is one out of the six 40MVA mobile substations that my Ministry empowered Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) to procure for urgent deployment to overloaded transmission substations nationwide. It was brought to Zaria for immediate installation and commissioning to ameliorate the precarious suppressed load challenge in the substation.”
Addressing the commissioning of the 60MVA power transformer in Funtua, Katsina state, Fashola said his Ministry also empowered TCN to procure and install 60MVA power transformers in order to replace faulty ones in the system, adding that the on-going upgrade and reinforcement of the generating stations will increase the capacity of substations to distribute energy throughout the country.
Fashola explained that, “the commissioning of this transformers could not have been at a better time, taking into consideration the increase in generation to more than 7000mw and the Federal Government plan to reach 20, 000mw in the next four years through the ongoing Transmission Rehabilitation and Expansion Programme”.
Speaking at the commissioning, Chairman of Kaduna Electricity Distribution PLC, Alhaji Yusuf Hamisu Abubakar, called for greater collaboration between the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) and the Distribution Companies for effective delivery of qualitative power supply to the Nigerian public. He advocated a balance between grid stabilization, the major concern of the Transmission Company of Nigeria and business viability.