Longer blackout in Bayelsa as fixing of vandalised 132KV lines lingers
The Managing Director of the Bayelsa Electricity Company and Board Chairman of the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHEDC), Engr. Olice Kemenanabo, has said that it will take approximately four to five weeks to restore power to Bayelsa State due to extensive damage to the Owerri-Ahoada-Yenagoa 132KV Double Circuit Transmission Lines. Speaking as a guest […]
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The Managing Director of the Bayelsa Electricity Company and Board Chairman of the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHEDC), Engr. Olice Kemenanabo, has said that it will take approximately four to five weeks to restore power to Bayelsa State due to extensive damage to the Owerri-Ahoada-Yenagoa 132KV Double Circuit Transmission Lines.
Speaking as a guest during an interview on a Bayelsa based radio station in Yenagoa, Engr. Kemenanabo explained that the procurement process for a contractor to repair the 35 to 50-meter-high towers, which collapsed due to vandalism, was typically time-consuming.
He added that due to the state government’s commitment to expedite the repairs, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) had already begun assessing the damage while waiting for its headquarters to prepare a technical report on the extent of the destruction.
He further explained that the estimated timeframe for power restoration was due to the complex nature of erecting the towers, which he said involved dismantling the three affected towers, followed by the procurement of replacement parts and the gradual rebuilding of the structures from the base to the top.
He noted that arrests had been made in connection with the vandalism, and investigations were ongoing, urging the state government and its Ministry of Environment, along with security agencies, to conduct raids on nearby scrap dump sites to recover stolen materials from the towers.
On the state government’s efforts to refurbish the Kolo Creek Gas Plant and initiate power generation in Bayelsa, Engr. Kemenanabo stated that the process was ongoing but had been delayed due to lengthy negotiations with Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), which include the Gas Sales Agreement, necessary for purchasing the gas required for the plant’s refurbishment and upgrading from 20 to 71 megawatts.
He mentioned that a consortium of investors and the state government had advanced in talks with SPDC for the supply of 100 million standard cubic feet of gas, assuring that, following the governor’s directive, the signing of the agreement should be completed within two weeks.
He however called for patience and understanding while the restoration process lasted, urging Bayelsans to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities around power installations to the authorities.