14th July, 2014
The Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHED), on Sunday, announced that it would cut power supply to Port Harcourt between July 13 and 23 for repairs and upgrade of facilities.
The company’s Public Affairs Manager, John Onyi, told journalists in Port Harcourt that there would be power outage from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. daily during the period.
Onyi said the power cut was to enable the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) to work on PHED facilities to boost electricity distribution in the city.
“PHED wishes to inform its customers of plans to cut electricity supply from July 13 to July 23 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. each day.
“The planned outage within this period is to enable TCN to improve some sections of its transmission line that transports power supply to Port Harcourt.
“The upgrade, when completed, will enhance the power wheeling capacity of the transmission lines, thereby enabling PHED to provide better services to its customers.”
The public affairs manager said that the current shortage of electricity supply witnessed in the state was due to insufficient megawatts the company received from the national grid.
He noted that the state presently received between 150 and 164 megawatts as against the 694 megawatts needed for the city.
According to him, the shortage of megawatts forced the company to embark on load-shedding to ensure the limited supply goes round.
Onyi said the loss of nine distribution transformers to vandals was responsible for the current electricity outages being experienced at Ada George, Mile 3, Ikwerre road, Iwofe road and parts of Rumueme community.
“Also, work is still ongoing at the vandalised five towers 132kv lines that feed electricity to Mgbuoba, NTA, Rumuosi, University of Port Harcourt and University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital,” he noted.
Onyi, therefore, appealed to customers to exercise patience, stressing that efforts were being made to improve electricity supply to the state.