The 10 megawatts (MW) Katsina Wind Farm could be completed and ready for commissioning in the next eight weeks, after about N4.4 billion has been sunk into it, the handlers revealed.
The Minister of Power, Engr. Sale Mamman, who inspected the plant recently at Lambar Rimi community, also commissioned the transmission lines that will evacuate the generated power.
The contractor executing the project and Managing Director of Crown Resources Development Company Limited (CREDCO), Barny Adeku Ojiah, said 31 turbines had been installed and that they could generate 5.5MW at a 65 per cent wind speed efficiency.
Ojiah said plans were ongoing to install the remaining six turbines, and that with strong wind speed, the plant could generate over 10MW.
Ojiah who briefed the minister said within the next eight weeks, the rehabilitation of the 31 turbines would be completed and that they could generate 5.5MW, “It could be even earlier than that, depending on the situation of each turbine,” he added.
Addressing the minister, he said, “I want to reassure you that this is an excellent project because those of us that have travelled to Europe know that the world is going green. It takes a huge initial investment, but is cheaper in the long run.”
The project also comes with the construction of 23 kilometres of 33 kilovolt (kV) power transmission line from the 10MW wind farm. The line evacuates the generated power to the 132/33kV substation belonging to the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).
From the substation, a 33kV transmission line spanning 17 kilometres was constructed to link up with the 132/33kV TCN substation at the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua University in Katsina, along with the extension of the 33kV bus bar.
While the minister commissioned the line, the ministry’s officials said the transmission line was handled by Bramwell Electrical Nigeria Limited as a project for the Federal Ministry of Power under its Distribution Expansion Programme (DEP).
The minister in his address after the inspection and the commissioning said, “We are here to inspect. We are going round to see what has been done because this project has been on the ground for over seven years and we have to make sure that we complete this project.
Engr. Mamman said, “We are all here with the representatives of the community, we have seen and we are impressed. We are also going to support the contractor to make sure the project is completed.”
The Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Power, Magaji Aliyu, said the lawmakers knew little about the project earlier.
Hon. Aliyu said, “I am highly satisfied, but before, I was not satisfied because I didn’t know what was going on and I needed more clarification.”
