Lucky Obukohwo, Reporting
Residents of Benin city, the capital of Edo state and environs are now enjoying improved power supply, following upgrade of facilities by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).
The General Manager, TCN Benin Region, Engr. Isaac Okpe who revealed this during a chat with journalists in Benin, said the facility upscale results in more than 100 per cent improvement in power transmission capacity.
This, he said, was as a result of a huge investment in new equipment and infrastructure embarked upon by the Company in order to meet the growing demand for electricity in the region.
Okpe further disclosed that to boost transmission, the company upgraded from 150MVA 330kva 132 kva transformer in Benin to 300MVA with similar upgrades in other substations.
At the Benin substation where there were 2x60MVA transformers and 1x40MVA, he said the 40MVA had been upgraded to 100MVA to increase the capacity to 240MVA.
The Benin TCN boss also disclosed that a new substation had been inaugurated at Erinje, Ondo state with a capacity of 60MVA.
“This is part of our efforts to improve the efficiency and reliability of our transmission grid, and to provide better service to our customers.
“These upgrades will significantly reduce power losses and improve voltage stability in the region,” he said.
Speaking on the challenges faced by the Benin Region of the TCN, Okpe lamented the issues encroachment on its right of way, vandalisation, and excavation of sand under the tower base which might possibly leads to its collapse.
He, however, noted that the challenges are not peculiar to the region.
He therefore urged members of the public to desist from the acts, just as he implored journalists to help in the enlightenment of the public on dangers attached to such acts.
He also said that some persons have been arrested for vandalizing the company’s facilities and that they will be charged to court upon completion of investigations.