Nigeria’s drive for renewable energy
For Nigeria, government said it will attain 30 per cent of its electricity source from renewable energy by 2030 when the national grid would have hit 30,000mw. Presently, local data puts the daily average generation at about 3,800mw. Minister of Power, Works and Housing Mr. Babatunde Fashola in an energy policy document launched in July 2016 said the over dependence on gasto-power and the worrisome vandals’ activities stimulated the decision.
The document entitled, ‘The Nigerian Power Sector Investment Opportunities and Guidelines’ projects a diversified electricity grid of 10,325mw by 2019, and 30 per cent renewable energy contribution by 2030. By 2019 and at 10,325mw, renewable energy contribution would have risen to about 25 per cent. The breakdown shows that 10 per cent would come from solar power, 12 per cent from Large Hydro Power (LHP), two per cent from Small Hydro Power (SHP) and one per cent from Coal.
The projection by 2030 will solve issues of the current overdependence on gas-to-power which accounts for 86 per cent of electricity generation so far with Large Hydro Power (LHP) contributing only 14 per cent, it said. Currently, there is renewable energy connection to the grid in Nigeria even when Cape Verde, an African island nation with 550,000 population said it had attained 30/35percent of renewable energy contribution to its grid by the end of 2016. It plans to raise it to 50 per cent by 2018 and would completely generate electricity by 100 per cent by 2020 using renewable energy sources; its Energy Minister Anildo Costa was quoted by The Independent of UK as saying.
Hope may rise for Nigeria from 2018 as construction of 10 solar-based power plants worth $1.75billion was to begin this year but has been stalled by procedural issues. These projects would have brought in the first 1,125mw of solar electricity to the national grid in sites that include Katsina, Bauchi, Nasarawa, Kaduna and FCT.
As the emphasis on EVs rise, an indigenous firm, Nigus Limited said it will introduce Electric Vehicles (EVs) into the Nigerian market from 2018 just as it plans the first local assembly plant for EVs in 2020. Its Chairman Prince Malik AdoIbrahim at a recent briefing in Abuja said his passion was driven by the targets set by other countries, fearing Nigeria could be a dumping ground for phased-out vehicles if action is not taken.
Malik who said he has a stint in foreign automobile industries and in global car racing said the project is in partnership with Chinese auto giant, BYD (Build Your Dreams) to bring EVs massively into Nigeria at affordable costs from 2018. “We are also working with BYD to get a local brand and start electric vehicle assembly plant for Nigeria from 2020. Gradually we will move to an EV with the African DNA starting in Nigeria,” he said.
Although EVs are presently expensive, Malik said it is coming up with options of Nigerians buying the solar-integrated vehicles without the batteries at completely reduced price. The batteries which can also power a full household, will be given on lease to the users at affordable price as they have a 15 year lifespan, he said.