The Nation Newspaper

Tag: mini-grids

  • Two new mini-grids for Ondo

    THE electricity intervention scheme of Governor Oluwarotimi Akereduolu’s administration has received a boost with the completion and inauguration of the pilot of a scalable 45kw cabin-type mini-grid power project in Gbagira town in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State.

    Special Adviser to the Governor on Public Utilities Tunji Light Ariyomo, in a statement, hailed Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger-Delta (PIND) and A4 & T Power Solutions for the success of the Gbagira project.

    Ariyomo also said another development partner, Community Energy Social Enterprise, has completed about 85kw solar plant in Akure North for the use of Small and medium-sized enterprises  (SMEs) cluster and that the new plant would be inauguration by the governor soon.

    He said the Gbagira power plant now brings to five the number of successfully completed community power interventions by the Akeredolu-led government in the past two years.

    The governor’s aide explained that “the Ondo State government just last year provided off-grid solar intervention in Ebute-Ipare, Aboto and Igbobini towns through another private firm, Messrs R. R. Reynolds”.

    “Today, we are delighted that PIND and A4 and T Solutions have continued this serious business of providing quality 24 /7 electricity for  our people using alternative technology,” the governor’s aide said.

    According to Ariyomo, there are other ongoing power projects in other parts of the state, including the state capital city, Akure.

    He, however, implored the beneficiaries of the power projects to ensure prompt and regular payment of their bills.

    The Olugbo of Ugbo, Oba Fredrick Akinruntan, hailed Akeredolu on the giant stride, saying the various projects being executed in the Southern senatorial district are laudable.

  • ‘Epileptic power creates $9.2b yearly mini-grid market opportunity’

    A REPORT has noted that developing off-grid power alternatives to complement the grid in Nigeria will create a $9.2 billion a year market opportunity for mini-grids and solar home systems.

    This will save $4.4 billion yearly for homes and businesses, the report said. It is titled: “Minigrids in Nigeria: A Major Investment Opportunity”.

    The report described the country’s power generation as “poor quality, noisy, and polluting. It noted that this has led to several of the country’s commercially viable businesses being powered through expensive sources of power generation.

    The report added that a significant amount of the economy is powered largely by small-scale generators (10–15 GW) with almost 50 per cent of the population having limited or no access to the grid. Consequently, there are high densities of power use, large latent demand, and a strong willingness to switch to more-effective alternatives.

    “Getting off-grid solutions to scale and commercial viability in Nigeria will unlock an enormous market opportunity in Sub-Saharan Africa across 350 million people in countries with smaller demand and/or less-robust economies,” the report, which was obtained by The Nation at the weekend, said.

    The report, which was an independent assessment of the Nigerian mini-grid market, was the result of a partnership between Rural Electrification Agency (REA), the World Bank (Energy Team), and Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI).

    The REA is tasked with developing the Nigerian off-grid power market.

    The agency created the Off-Grid Electrification Strategy as part of the Power Sector Recovery Programme (PSRP). The strategy’s primary objective was to increase electricity access to rural and under-served clusters.

    The PSRP is a series of policy actions, operational, governance and financial interventions to be implemented by the Federal Government over the next five years aimed at to restoring the financial viability of Nigeria’s power sector and improve its transparency and service delivery.

    It also seeks to resolve consumer complaints, reduce losses, energy theft, and reset the Nigerian electricity supply industry for future growth. The Federal Government developed the PSRP in collaboration with the World Bank Group.

    The report further stated that there is an annual $9.2 billion market opportunity today for mini-grids and solar home systems that will save Nigerians $4.4 billion annually.

    The report also pointed out that Nigeria was providing an enabling environment for off-grid market growth, including developer protection through the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) Mini-grid Regulations.

  • Fed Govt eyes 3,000Mw from mini-grids

    Fed Govt eyes 3,000Mw from mini-grids

    The Federal Government plans to generate 3,000 megawatts (Mw) of electricity through 10,000 mini-grids to energise under-served off-grid communities across Nigeria by year 2020.

    The Managing Director, Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Mrs Damilola Ogunbiyi, who spoke during an energy conference on mini grid in Abuja, said the agency was securing $350 million from the World Bank for rural electrification. Of the money, $150million will go into funding the mini-grid projects.

    Through the Bank’s Nigeria Electrification Project (NEP) to be implemented by REA after its approval in April 2018, key mini-grid projects are expected to serve 200,000 households and 50,000 local enterprises across Niger, Plateau, Kaduna and Rivers states.

    Mrs Ogunbiyi, who noted that 50 per cent of  Nigeria’s 180million population are not connected to the national grid, said they can be energised through mini-grids that would involve private sector participation.

    She said local businesses spend N40 billion every year to generate unstained electricity, adding that  to reduce that, REA is working with the private sector to provide off-grid power supply strategies for the next five years which started from 2015.

    The REA chief said if investors can provide clean electricity to the 50 per cent unconnected Nigerians, there will be a potential of N9billion to be earned from Solar Home Systems (SHS) and mini-grid systems.

    Speaking,  Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola said the conference was apt as the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) recently signed the mini grid regulation to accelerate the electrification of rural areas that are far from grid using renewable energy sources.

    “I think it is a great moment for Africa, for the sub region and it is a great moment for my country, Nigeria,” he said.

    Country Director, Nigeria at World Bank, Mr Rachid Benmessaoud said it was the fourth time the international community is gathering to discuss energy access especially the mini grid solution with over 600 participants in the on-going edition hosted by Nigeria.

    He said about one billion people lack access to electricity globally from which 600million are in sub-Saharan Africa and with 80million of them in Nigeria.

    Represented by the Global Lead Energy Access of the Bank, Mr Mac Cosgrove-Davies, said the Bank has over $3billion funding portfolio for Nigeria and that it is largely to help improve the power sector just as he sought the collaboration of stakeholders in the development projects.

  • Kaduna, others to build solar-powered mini-grids

    Five states are to build solar-powered mini-grids to aid the Federal Government’s efforts at improving electricity generation and supply.

    The states are Kaduna, Imo, Rivers, Delta and Ogun. They are partnering with GreenElec, a France-based solar energy solution provider, for the people.

    Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai said at the inauguration of the solar-powered mini-grids in Kaduna that the initiative  would enable communities without access to national grid, to access solar power for improved economic growth. He said the inauguration of a pilot study for the state’s  mini-grids  signifies hope for communities without light.

    GreenElec’s President, Marvel Hochet, in an interview with The Nation in Lagos, said the use of solar-powered mini grids, would help in increasing access to electricity in Nigeria, as well as boost the energy mix initiative introduced by the Federal Government to encourage the use of both traditional and non-traditional means of generating electricity in the country.

    He said pilot studies on the use of solar power on major highways, bridges, and streets have been conducted in Imo, Delta, Rivers and Ogun States, adding that efforts are ongoing to provide solar-powered mini-grids in many communities in the states, which will enable them use solar power for growth.

    He said the firm was developing a mini solar system to provide electricity for medical centres in six local government areas (LGAs) in Ogun State, adding that it is targeting urban communities far from national grid and industrial clusters with banks, hotels, and factories to improve supply.

    He said building mini-grids in the five states would reduce pressure on the national grid, which, according to him, has suffered neglect over time. He said the solar-powered mini-grids would be fitted with panels produced in France, strong batteries, poles and network, among other components, adding that they cannot be broken.

    Hochet said there are about 5,000 people are in each community, adding that the people will be divided into homes to know the number of grids the community will need, before it can access solar electricity.

    “Investigation conducted by GreenElec reveals that a community on average boasts of 5,000 people and that the community would need two solar powered mini grids to function well. A home boasts of five people and when you divide it by 5,000 people, you will have 1,000 homes. A mini grid will serve 500 homes, while two mini grids would take care of 1,000 homes,” he said.

    According to him, there are at least 10 communities in each of the states, which are not connected to the grid, adding that the development means that the states would spend a lot of money to provide the grids for their people.

    He said a greater percentage of people in rural areas were unable to access power, stressing that their problem would be over soon.

    On cost of the grids, he said it costs a lot of money to produce and fix a mini-grid, adding that it is only the government and other high net worth groups that can bear the cost. The country is facing problems such as poor generation and supply of electricity, a development, which made the government to advocate for the use of renewable energy sources.

    The National President, National Association of Energy Economists (NAEE), Prof Wunmi Iledare, said themajority of Nigerians still lack access to electricity. He said 45 per cent of the 170 million Nigerians do not have access to the national grid, while the remaining 55 per cent can make do with little or no electricity.