Anambra Targets To Install 25,000 Solar Powered Streetlights By June 2022—- Commissioner
The Anambra government says it has successfully converted 6,380 poles of streetlights from generator-powered to solar-powered model in the first phase of the switch.
Mr Julius Chukuemeka, Commissioner for Power and Water Resources said this in an interview in Awka on Thursday.
Chukuemeka said the government targets to completely install about 25,000 units of streetlights across the state by the middle of next year.
He said the project which was going on in the four major cities of Awka, Onitsha, Ekwulobia and Nnewi will be cascaded to the rural areas.
He said lightening the streets especially in the night would enhance nightlife and also part of security strategy, adding that the goal was to ensure residents moved in well lit environments anywhere in the state at night.
He said work would continue during the Yuletide.
“The solar powered streetlights project is going on smoothly, so far, we have successfully converted 6,380 streetlights from generator powered to Solar powered, we are looking at installing 10,000 in the second phase.
“By mid next year, we hope to have installed not less than 25, 000 depending on the availability of funds,” he said.
Chukwuemeka said the conversion became necessary in view of the increase in the price of diesel from about N145 per litre when they were installed to N800 which had made the powering of the lights unsustainable.
He said government was recovering the generators and cables which had become redundant for other purposes.
He said Anambra was discussing with Enugu Electricity Distribution Company on a possible Memorandum of Understanding on how privately generated power could be used to beef up the national grid to increase supply in the state.
The Commissioner said the rich gas resource of Anambra would be exploited to ensure improved power supply with little or no disruption.
