14mw more power for Lagos as two new IPPs come on stream

About 14.8 megawatts of electricity will be available for redistribution to Lagos in what is expected would have some positive impact on power supply within the state before the end of the year.

This is coming as two additional Independent Power Plants (IPPs) with a combined capacity of 14.8 megawatts, being built by the Lagos State government, in collaboration with two private investors are expected to be switched before year’s end.

Danmilola Ogunbiyi, general manager of the Lagos State Electricity Board (LSEB), said

as the new IPPs become operational, current consumption by facilities they (IPPs) will serve, would be fed back to the national grid and redistributed by the DISCOs, thereby improving supply in the state. 

The new power projects are Mainland IPP, sited within the Ikeja GRA, with 8.8 megawatts capacity and Lekki IPP, which is to generate six megawatts. Partnering the state for the embedded projects are Mainland Power Limited and Peninsula Integrated Power Limited respectively.

The mainland IPP would supply facilities within the state’s old secretariat and other critical institutions like Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), High Courts, the state police command headquarters, and over 20km of public lighting. The facility would be powered through a pipeline from Gaslink Nigeria Limited, while the Lekki IPP will power street lights and aid water supply in the area within parts of Ikoyi and Victoria Island. The plant, with a dedicated distribution network will run on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG).

Before now, four other IPPs embarked upon by the government and some private investors had been switched on and are currently operational. They include the Akute Power Plant, with 12.15 megawatts capacity; Island I and II with 20 megawatts capacity and the Alausa IPP, supplying 10.4 megawatts. With the Mainland and Lekki projects coming on stream, the total capacity from the six would now be 48.7 megawatts.

Ogunbiyi  said the state is already feeling the positive impact of the IPPs, citing Alausa, the seat of government, where the 10.4MW IPP, now supplies electricity 24 hours a day, to the entire state secretariat, staff quarters and street lights within the adjourning zone, with previous consumption let off to serve other areas.

Further information obtained from the LSEB indicates that not less than 120 generators with gaseous emissions had been taken off the system since  the Alausa IPP was switched on in October 2013 saving the government fueling and maintenance costs, running into about N200 million annually.

 Also, the Island IPP expansion is said to be currently providing uninterrupted power supply to crucial government facilities within the health, education, security, water, waste management, science & technology, judicial, sport and transportation sectors in Lagos Island.

“The project has extended the IPP distribution network from 18KM (Phase I) to 57KM. It has also increased the number of government facilities connected to the plant from 10 facilities to 38 facilities, and public lighting network from 12.6KM to 70.7KM with positive impact on security and night life within the covered areas.”

BusinessDay