24 24 October 2016, Sweetcrude, Lagos — The Benin Electricity Distribution Company, BEDC, has restated its commitment to meeting the power needs of customers in its jurisdiction in spite of the current low power output by the generation companies.
The company made the pledge as it blamed power outage in parts of Benin City on cable explosion.
It said that the cable owned by Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, exploded at Ihovbor power plant in Uhunwode Local Government Area of the state on October 8.
Spokesman of BEDC in Edo, Mr. Fidelis Obishai, at a news briefing in Benin, said the explosion affected the 150 MVA transformer at Ihovbor plant and TCN substation, which resulted to the power outage in Ikpoba Hill, Ugbowo and Okada axis of the state.
It also affected the University of Benin and the teaching hospital.
The spokesman recalled that the TCN had on Sept. 24, 2018, lost 60 MVA Transformer which was feeding 33 KVA Feeder at Ikpoba Dam Injection Sub-station.
“The lost transformer was also affected 33KVA feeding Evbotubu /Egor axis and the transformer serving Sapele Road to Koko feeders in Delta State.
He said that the faulty transformers compelled the management of BEDC to reschedule its power distribution plan with a view to ensuring that customers got power supply.
According to him, the best option immediately adopted was to re-arrange power distribution against the backdrop of the epileptic power supply in the state.
Obishai said the company was currently accessing about 360 megawatts as against 800 megawatts needed to services no fewer than 900,000 customers in Edo, Delta, Ondo and Ekiti.
