Nigeria to Generate 56MW from Solar, Hydro Plants
From Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja, 01.05.2007
source: African Thisdayonline.com
http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=67290
Federal Government of Nigeria yesterday commenced action on the implementation of its Renewable Energy Master Plan (REMP) with a projection to generate at least 56MW of electricity from Solar, Wind and Small hydro power facilities. Speaking at a strategy workshop for the implemetation of REMP in Abuja, the Director General of the Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN), Professor Abubakar Sambo said about 1MW is expected to be generated from wind energy facility, 5MW from solar Panel while 50MW will be produced from small hydro sites to be developed in some parts of the country.
“About 56MW of electricity is expected to be generated within the short term plan of the REMP, about 1MW will come through wind, 5MW from solar PV and 50MW from small hydro sites from all parts of the country this year”, Sambo said. He said the year 2007 is very important for the renewable energy sector, adding that the year will be a test ground for achieving short term targets of the master plan. The D-G said the expectation is that by the end of this year the contribution of new renewable energy plants to the national electricity supply will be 0.8%. According to him, the commission has target to contribute about 10 percent of the electricity generation to at least 3345MW by 2015.
Nigeria’s gross hydro electricity potential is put at approximately 14,750MW, out of which 1,930MW (14%) has been exploited. Sambo assured that the commission has put in place measures that will ensure the successful implementation of the REMP target. He regretted that renewable energy sector has been constraned in the past by lack of good policy guideline but that with the REMP, the country now has a direction and target to achieve within a specific period.
He said the workshop is to prefer the participants about government intention to make the target achievable, adding that the key objective is to transform energy market so that it can function efficiently and effectively.