The series of activities by the Lagos State Government marking October 2013 as the Energy Conservation Month came to a climax last Thursday with the unbundling of more government facilities unto the 10MW Island Power Plant built by the state government under the Public Private Partnership infrastructure financing model.
Speaking at the inauguration of the Island Power Plant Expansion (IPP 2), at Marina, Lagos Island, Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN), said the expansion of the distribution capacity of the IPP translated to a significant increase in the network coverage of the IPP from the previous 18km length under the first phase to record 58km coverage under the second phase.
Declaring the IPP as ‘‘another milestone in our journey towards self-sufficiency in power’’, Fashola added that lives of over 20 million residents in the state would be positively affected by the power infrastructure, which he explained would boost service delivery as well as general socio-economic activities in the state.
The Island IPP located in Marina with a 10MW capacity holds the record of being the fastest executed and one of the most successful Independent Power Projects in Nigeria. The project is a Public Private Partnership (PPP) between the State Government and Marina Power Limited. It currently supplies 24-hour electricity to the General Hospital, Lagos (Including the Mortuary & Doctors quarters); Island Maternity Hospital, Lagos State Health Service Commission; High Court of Lagos State including the court annexe at Tafawa Balewa Square; Igbosere Magistrate Court; Lagos House Marina; e-Learning Centre; Lagos City Hall; Freedom Park and public lighting installations on 22 Streets within Lagos Island.
Fashola said with the onboarding of more government facilities unto the plant, about 68 generating sets producing 16.8MW of inefficient power have now been eradicated with an annual reduction of carbon dioxide emissions to the tune of 185,054,976 lbs.
‘‘The Island Power Plant is another significant milestone in our efforts to ensure optimal public service delivery across the critical sectors such as health, education, security, water, waste management, science and technology, judiciary, sports and transportation. This is why we have remained focussed and unrelenting in our pursuit of power reform initiatives which aim is to provide 24-hour uninterrupted power supply in our public facilities because power is very essential’’, he said.
In a project overview presentation, the General Manager, Lagos State Electricity Board (LSEB), Mrs. Damilola Ogunbiyi, reaffirmed that constant and stable electricity was critical in order to achieve socio-economic development, stating that the IPP2 project was a testimonial that uninterrupted 24-hour electricity supply was possible in Nigeria.
The Chief Operating Officer, Island Power Limited, Mr. Kunle Falola, said the need for constant electric power supply could not be over-emphasised because it was the driver of socio-economic development anywhere in the world, expressing delight that 99.8 per cent of uninterrupted 24-hour light availability had been achieved in many government facilities on Lagos Island since the IPP was launched two years ago.
The Managing Director, Fidelity Bank Plc, Mr. Reginald Ihejiahi, said the participation of the bank in the three power plants so far executed by the state government was a celebration of a good vision embodied by Governor Fashola.
In his remarks, the Chairman, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Dr. Sam Amadi, commended the state government for what he called the ‘‘strategic, creative and innovative’’ electric power solutions being created to make life better for the residents, explaining that the state intervention in power was unique in the sense that the IPPs were targeted at ensuring uninterrupted 24-hour electricity supply in government facilities that service critical areas of need of the residents.