The Management of Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) on Friday blamed power outage in parts of Benin City, Edo, 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 Oct. 8.
Spokesman of BEDC in Edo, Mr Fidelis Obishai, made this known at a news briefing in Benin.
Obishai said that 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.
”Recently we had some challenges in power system flow in Benin-City.
“We had before now pride ourselves that we have customers who are already used to our power flow because we came up with what we called the power predictable load-shedding plans.
‘The power predictable plan ensures that customers predict when they will have light or not. That was the system and we were very proud about it.
”But now, the reverse is the case when we recently had challenges. The challenges are not from BEDC but from Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN),” he said.
According to him, the best option we immediately adopted was to re-arrange our power distribution against the backdrop of the epileptic power supply in the state.
Obishai, however, restated BEDC’s commitment to meeting the power need of customers in its jurisdiction in spite of the current low power generation by the transmission companies.
He said that the company was in partnership with three transmission companies in the state.
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He added that 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.
The spokesman also disclosed that the company had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with investors for mini-grid electricity for alternative power generation in the state.
He, therefore, appealed to electricity consumers to join hands in moving the power sector forward by paying bills regularly.
Contacted, Spokesperson of TCN in Benin office, Mr Rufus Imafidon, declined comment on the issue.
NAN