With the completion of the installation of 33KVA lines and a sub-station at the Edo State Secretariat complex, the much-awaited 55MW CCTEC-Ossiomo Power Plant is set for test run in the next couple of weeks, opening up the state’s power sector for competition for the benefit of residential and industrial consumers.
The CCETC-Ossiomo benefits from a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) entered with the Edo State Government, which paves way for the supply of stable electricity to government buildings and public utilities, such as hospitals, offices, street lights, the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium and other such public facilities.
Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Communication Strategy, Mr. Crusoe Osagie, said the coming on stream of the power plant would cement the state’s status as a hub for power generation and distribution in the country, as power consumers would now have a flexible regime that guarantees that they buy power from willing sellers.
According to him, “The 55MW CCETC-Ossiomo power project is unique and critical. Asides the fact that it is a fulfilment of Governor Godwin Obaseki’s promise to bring in investors into the power sector and improve the sector for optimal performance, the success of the project also provides the state government a good partner in industrialising the state. The power station would power a number of legacy projects in the state, such as the Benin Enterprise and Industrial Park as well as the Utesi Industrial Cluster.
“The project showcases the commitment of the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led government to the welfare of Edo people. We will continue to put the people first in the various projects we embark on and this projector is one in a long streak of legacy projects.”
Noting that the state government is proud with the spate of work on the project, he added: “For this project, the company laid 104 high tension poles from Ologbo to the Benin By-pass, which indicates the level of investment made in ensuring a solid infrastructure is put in place for the success of the project. With the test run, some government offices and streetlights on the Sapele Road corridor would be powered from the plant. We are sure this is a sign of more good things to come.”
