Plateau seals pact on hydro power stations

THE Plateau government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Stroy Alyans Construction Company for the construction of six hydro-electric power plants in the state.

The Commissioner of Water Resources, Mr. Idi Waziri, who signed on behalf of the state government on Friday in Jos, said that the projects were considered expedient as part of efforts to tackle epileptic power supply in the state.

“The power needs of the state stand at 300 megawatts. However, the state presently gets only 60 megawatts and this is grossly insufficient for us.

“It is in the realisation of this that the present administration constituted a Technical Committee on Energy to fashion a way out of the situation,’’ he said.

Waziri said that six hydro-electric power stations would be built in various locations across the state, adding that when completed, the stations would also generate revenue for the state as they would supply power to  neighbouring states.

He gave the assurance that the projects would be completed before the end of the year, stressing that by 2013, problems relating to epileptic power supply would have been fully solved.

Waziri commended Governor Jonah Jang for his determination to tackle the challenge of inadequate power supply facing the state, adding that his efforts in this regard would soon boost socio-economic activities in the state.

Mr. Pastushena Ivanovich, managing director of Stroy Alyans Company, who signed the memorandum on behalf of his company, said that the six hydro-electric power stations, when completed, would generate more than 300 megawatts of electricity.

He said that the state would soon become a major supplier of electricity to other surrounding states.

Ivanovich assured the state government that all the projects would be completed within the specified period.