Nigeria has adopted an approach to directly
engage with prospective project developers to
set up renewable energy projects. The
government has recently finalised a new
agreement to set up a lot more solar power
capacity.
In the latest round of negotiations, the
Nigerian government has received pledges
from three companies to set up a total of 1
GW solar power capacity across the country.
The entire program will include large utility-
scale power projects as well as distributed
power projects.
The agreements have been signed between the
Nigerian government and Solius NGPC,
Peoples Home Association, and Solar Force
Nigeria Limited.
Peoples Home Association announced that it
will set up 500 MW of capacity across the
country. This capacity will be added in five
tranches of 100 MW each. Solar Force Nigeria
Limited will set up 200 small-scale projects of
1 MW each across as many villages.
Solius NGC is expected to set up the balance
300 MW capacity. However, the size and type
of the projects is unknown. The company will
also set up a training centre for power sector
professionals. Peoples Home Association will
also set up solar research centers across
universities in Nigeria to help generate about
10,000 jobs in the solar power sector.
The Nigerian government, on its part, has
pledged full assistance to these companies
and will provide them with land and a
transmission network, and it will help the
companies meet regulatory requirements for
setting up the projects.
With these fresh MoUs, the total solar power
capacity pledged by various companies in
Nigeria this year has crossed 5 GW.
Earlier this year, SkyPower FAS Energy signed
a series of agreements to set up 3 GW of solar
power capacity in the country . This capacity
would be added through utility-scale projects
and represents an investment worth $5 billion.
In late November, two US-based companies
pledged to set up a total solar power capacity
of 1.2 GW by 2017 . The projects will require a
cumulative investment of $2 billion dollars
and once operational will generate enough
power to meet the demands of 1 million
homes in the country.
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