Igali: Buhari’s Charge to Operators is Keeping Power Supply Stable
The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Power, Dr. Godknows Igali, yesterday stated that the continued steady increase in electricity generation and supply experienced in the country was because President Muhammadu Buhari’s charged operators in the sector to redouble their efforts and leave no stone unturned to ensure uninterrupted power supply to Nigerians during his tenure.
Igali said this while signing two Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with two indigenous investors in the power sector-Messrs. New Horizons Energy Resources and Quaint Global Energy Solutions in Abuja.
Both investors are interested in renewable projects, especially solar, biomass and thermal power generation.
He explained in a statement from the ministry that the continued increase in power supply was not as a result of rain, as speculated in some quarters, adding that marginal improvement from the country’s hydro plants cannot be responsible for this feat.
Igali stated that the improvements in supply was as a result of increase in gas supply to the thermal plants, and that the government’s anti-vandalism campaigns are also yielding positive results.
To sustain the trend, Igali said the present administration is determined to look in the direction of renewables energy, hence more emphasis will be placed on solar energy source.
He noted that with clusters of solar plants built across the country, technical losses occasioned by hauling of energy over long distances would be reduced.
According to him, renewable energy sources can be deplored effectively while captive power would also be available to electricity distribution companies (Discos) at the distribution levels.
He commended the companies for working with the ministry and the government in the development of mini power generation and micro grid, insisting that all the efforts will translate into power stability and reliability.
The statement also had Igali disclosing that the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) was working on critical transmission corridors which would enhance the nation’s transmission capacity to be able to evacuate all energy that would be produced going forward.
It also quoted Seun Solesi of Quaint Global Energy Solutions to have informed Igali that his company would enjoy a grant of $1.3 million from the Obama Power Africa Initiative to carry out feasibility studies for its 50 megawatts (MW) solar powered plant in Machiok, Kaura Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
Solesi said with the foreign aid, the project is to start in earnest at 150 hectares project site approved by the Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai.
Similarly, the representative of New Horizons said in the statement that when their project comes on stream, Nigerians wouldbe recruited and trained in the United States, while local materials for building the plant would be sourced within.
He said the plan of his company is to build 100MW solar power plant in Nasarawa State, 400MW of biomass in Cross River State and 300MW of thermal in Rivers State.