OAU TO START GENERATING POWER ON CAMPUS BY OCTOBER

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Ife Adewole

The Vice-Chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Prof. Eyitope Ogunbodede, on Monday has disclosed that the institution has started its power generating project that would make it leave the national grid by October 2019.

Eyitope made this statement on Monday while declaring Open African Institute for Science Policy and Innovation International Biennial Conference at OAU explained that the project started in 2017 and the completed period is two years.

The VC said by the time the university exited the national grid, between N35m and 65m that is being paid monthly as energy consumption tariff would be saved.

He added that the university’s daily energy needs was below six megawatt, and the gas turbine that would power the university and its teaching hospital is capable of generating over eight megawatt daily.

He said, “One of the key challenges we have is the unstable supply of energy. In fact, it is so erratic that you cannot plan any meaningful research. Luckily now, we are working with Rural Electrification Agency to provide for us a gas-powered turbine that will generate 8.0 megawatts of electricity.

“What we consume as a university is between 5 to 6 megawatts daily. With 8.03 megawatts, we will be comfortable. This project started in 2017 and the completion period is two years.

“However, due to the fast pace of the work, the project will be delivered by the end of October. We are now very sure that by the end of October Obafemi Awolowo University will be generating its own electricity and what that means is that we will be off the national grid.

“Presently, we pay between N35m and N65m per month for electricity. By the time we start generating our own electricity, money will be saved.”