‘Light Up Agbara’ project kicks off to boost power supply in industrial clusters

Nigeria’s foremost energy solutions provider, Millwater Limited, in partnership with Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC), FGN Power Company Limited (FGNPC), Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC), and other stakeholders, hosted the Vice President at the Light Up Agbara groundbreaking ceremony. The event, which took place on Thursday, May 30th, 2024, marked the commencement of phase one of the Agbara Light Up project, in line with the Light Up Nigeria initiative.

The Light Up Agbara Project officially launched in October 2023 and was commemorated with a roundtable business discussion with partners, stakeholders, and customers. The project entails distributing about 300 MW of electricity to businesses and off-takers within the industrial clusters in Sagamu, Sango, Ota, Ifo, and Mowe to foster a flourishing economy through reliable grid power.

The groundbreaking ceremony is therefore a direct result of last year’s launch and commitment to instigating a change in the Nigerian power sector. This ceremony unveiled the first of two multimillion-dollar mobile substations and national assets that will be situated in Agbara.

The Agbara Light Up project is now fully underway, with phase one focusing on developing and implementing grid power solutions for the first seven off-takers and beneficiaries: Khanz Group, JOF Salt Factory, Sun Steel Industries, Nampak BBevcan Limited, Flexipack Limited, Strongpack Limited, and Lotus Plastics Limited. This phase, being a pilot on the series of projects in the Light Up Nigeria initiative, is expected to take between four and six months to complete.

On this premise, two 63 MVA Mobitran transformers have been secured, significantly boosting the system’s capacity. This enhancement will facilitate connecting a 132kV transmission line from Ikeja West to Agbara.

To further bolster distribution, new infrastructure, including transformers, ring main units, and dedicated lines, will be deployed, while existing conductors will be upgraded for increased capacity.

According to Millwater Limited’s CEO, Engr. Jude Nwoko, technology would also play a vital role in this project, as meters would be monitored virtually for real-time fault detection and connection.

Notable personalities present at the event include Mr. Chiedu Ugbo, Managing Director of NDPHC, also representing the Vice President of Nigeria, His Excellency, Senator Kashim Shettima, GCON; Mr. Kenny Anuwe, Managing Director of FGN Power Company; Dr. Dere Otubu, the Chairman of EKEDC; Mr. Anirejuoritse Ojuyah, the Chairman of Millwater; and representatives of the Eko Electricity Distribution Company Plc (EKEDC).

Regarding the project outcome, Engr. Jude Nwoko expressed his optimism.

“It is a sigh of relief to see something that was once a vision coming to fruition.”

The CEO further stated, regarding Millwater’s contribution to the initiative:

“We aim to deliver reliable and efficient power in a cost-effective manner by unlocking generated power that has been stranded on the grid. We are like the rope that ties everyone and unknots every tied end.”

Millwater is committed to revolutionizing the Nigerian power sector and has consistently made significant strides towards this mission. By leveraging cutting-edge technology, Millwater aims to debottleneck existing obstacles in the power sector to ensure that industries flourish and the Nigerian economy soars above power limitations.