Yemisi Izuora
Nigeria is now making significant inroad in alternative power solutions, and appear to be leading in that sector in the Sub-region.
In the bid to promote investment in the area, the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) in Zaria, Nigeria, has signed a deal with Hungarian Agrar-Biothanol to produce 1,333 tonnes of liquid organic fertiliser and 2.66 million litres of ethanol annually, as well as to generate 1.2MW of electricity.
According to Biofuels International, the plant will process farm, animal and human waste to use as feedstock to produce biogas and ethanol.
The generated electricity could be enough to power 30 percent of the university’s electricity consumption while at the same time further improve agricultural training and research.
Biofuels International reported that the Vice Chancellor of the university, Ibrahim Garba, said the independent power generation project became imperative as the institution could no longer sustain the 86 million naira ($272,799) monthly electricity bills.
Hungary’s ambassador to Nigeria, Ternak Gabor, said that Nigeria’s growing population made the diversification to renewable energy production necessary.
Also, three solar power plant developments are set to drive the Nigerian government’s target of 75 percent of the population gaining access to electricity by 2020.
International solar developer, Phanes Group announced recently that it has acquired, and will co-develop, three 100MW grid-connected solar PV plants in Nigeria.
The projects will contribute to the government’s ambitions to generate 2,000MW of power from renewable sources by 2020.
The projects will be developed in three locations, which includes the Mando area of Kaduna, Birnin-Kebbi in Kebbi and Sokoto in the North-West of Nigeria.
The solar developer noted that the Sokoto project is backed by one of the 14 recently signed Power Purchase Agreements with utility-scale solar power developers – which will collectively add around 1,200MW of solar capacity to the grid.
The Dubai-based solar developer said it is targeting to connect the first 50MW of the Sokoto project by Q1 2018, and the project is expected to be complete by the end of 2018.
The Kebbi and Kaduna projects will be delivered under the Hasken-Rana brand (meaning ‘sunshine’ in Hausa) a joint venture between the solar developer and its Nigerian partners, and are due for completion before the end of 2019, the company said.