TheCable

Mainstream Energy Solutions Limited, operators of the Kanji dam, has described reports of the facility bursting its banks as fake news.

In a statement on Monday, Olugbenga Adebola, the company’s head of corporate communications, said the dam is intact and in full operations.

There had been reports on social media that the dam had collapsed and the hydro-power station was about to shut down with 760MW of electricity going off the grid.

Adebola stated that what happened at the facility was a routine water spillage exercise to regulate the water flow along River Niger.

“This news is totally false. Our dam is in full operations and currently supplying power to the national grid,” Adebola said.

“The fact that we are in full and normal operations can easily be confirmed from the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) and the National Control Center (NCC) who are our dispatchers to the national grid.

“The Kainji Hydro Power Plant is currently carrying out water spillage exercise to regulate the water flow along the river Niger. The dam reservoir is currently not at its fullest capacity and will not be in the coming months, therefore bursting its banks does not arise.

“This is an exercise carried out annually to ensure that the reservoir is well secured and that the expected flow of water along the River Niger and its tributaries are controlled.

“Our team of dedicated and experienced engineers are working round the clock to ensure power supply to the nation as well as the safety and integrity of our dam. We would like to assure the public that there is no cause for alarm and the wicked and fake news should be disregarded.”