Ekiti State Government has begun the test run of Independent Power Project (IPP) as part of efforts to boost electricity supply.

The independent power station, which was initiated by former Governor Kayode Fayemi-led government and completed by incumbent Governor Biodun Oyebanji, was one in the series of interventions to address inherent challenges in electricity supply to the state.

In a chat with our reporter in Ado-Ekiti, Commissioner for Infrastructure, Prof. Bolaji Aluko, said the project had been tested successfully for two weeks with 700kw distributed so far out of the 3.5megawatts.

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He added that the test, which covered Governor’s Office, Government House, State Secretariat Complex, House of Assembly Complex, Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH) and streetlights along major roads in the metropolis among others, would be expanded to cover private concerns on a willing buyer, willing seller basis.

The Technical Director, Ekiti IPP Limited, Mrs. Odunayo Lanre-Bamodu, an engineer; said the project was fully in operation and it had been working perfectly for about two weeks, noting that government facilities across Ado-Ekiti were benefiting from the electricity source.

She said the project is a metropolitan power source with 11 kilometres underground distribution network as well as several substations and Ring Main Units (RMUs), two generating sets of 1.5MW and 1.25MW, totalling 2.65MW in place for the power plant, adding that there is room for expansion.

Stressing that the project runs a 24- hour uninterrupted power supply, Bamodu said individuals and corporate organisations could benefit from the plant, as there was provision for expansion in future.

She said the Ekiti IPP Limited had begun training and retraining of people to impact and transfer knowledge, adding that indigenous youths would benefit from the project in form of job opportunities and acquisition of knowledge.