Energy cost less 40% by IPP, says Fashola

Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, has said that the state’s Independent Power Plants, has reduced the government’s energy cost by 40 per cent.

Fashola spoke on Tuesday at the opening ceremony of the three-day 7th Lagos State Climate Change Summit, with the theme: ‘Seven years of climate change governance in Lagos State: Celebrating success stories, reviewing challenges and setting future agenda.’

The state government recently inaugurated the 8.5 megawatts Peninsula integrated power project, which is the fifth of such IPPs built in the last five years.

The governor said, “In the area of energy conservation, our independent power plants have led to the reduction of power costs in the running of critical public utilities such as schools, hospitals, waterworks and police stations by close to 40 per cent.

“This is not the end of the journey; we have used cleaner fuel, mainly gas, and this has led to the decommissioning of 400 generators and an annual sustainable carbon dioxide emission reduction, leading to a cleaner and greener environment in our state.”

The governor noted that the state had also invested in solar power, which currently serves about 127 public schools and 11 primary health care centres.

He said the state had also made giant strides in the area of waste management.

“Waste management in Lagos is much more improved and I am glad that we have lost the unenviable status of being the dirtiest city in the world and Lagos has become the centre of study on how to manage waste,” he said.

The Commissioner for the Environment, Mr. Tunji Bello, said when the summit began in 2009, the goal was to use the platform as a principal vehicle not only for drawing public attention to the challenges that climate change posed to humans, but also to explore all available mitigation and adaptation options.

“This is understandable given that Lagos State with its topography, vast coast line and burgeoning population is most vulnerable to the vagaries of climate change,” he said.

Source: http://www.punchng.com