The Vice-Chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State, Professor Eyiyope Ogunbodede, on Monday disclosed that the institution has commenced power generating project that would make it exit national grid by October 2019.

Eyitope who made this disclosure while declaring open African Institute for Science Policy and Innovation International Biennial Conference at OAU explained that the project started in 2017 and the completion period is two years.

According to him, “The university is working with a Rural Electrification Agency that would provide a gas-powered turbine and will generate 8.0 megawatts of electricity for the institution.”

Ogunbodede further added that “because of the fast pace of the work, the project will be delivered by October ending. 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.”

He expressed optimism that by the time the project is delivered, the university will be saving between N35 and 65 million being the cost of energy consumption monthly.

While observing that the university daily energy needs is below six megawatts, Ogunbodede said that the gas turbine that will power the university and its teaching hospital is capable of generating over eight megawatts daily, stressing that some neighbouring communities to the university would also benefit from the excess energy that the turbine would generate.

The VC lamented that “one of the key challenges we have a university is the very unstable supply of energy. In fact, it is so erratic that you cannot plan any meaningful research. We are working with the Rural Electrification Agency to provide for us a gas-powered turbine that will generate 8.0 megawatts of electricity.”

“What we use as a university is between 5 and 6 megawatts daily and with 8.03 megawatts, we will be comfortable and have excess.

“We pay between N35 and N65 million per month for electricity. By the time we start generating our own electricity, that cost will drop,” Ogunbodede remarked. (Nigerian Tribune)

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