FG partners two firms for 50mw Kaduna solar plant                                       

On the heels of acute energy shortages confronting Nigeria, the Federal Government on Tuesday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with two private energy firms, Quaint Energy Resources and Access Power, with the aim of harnessing the vast electricity potentials available through solar energy in the country.

Quaint Energy Resources is partnering Access Power to set up a 50mw solar powered facility in the Manchiok area of Kaduna State, where a vast acreage of land has already been allocated for the project by the Kaduna State government.

Speaking at the event, Godknows Igali, permanent secretary in the ministry of power, said the Buhari-led administration was determined to guaranteeing greater access to electricity for Nigerians through solar sources.

Abayomi Adebisi, director of renewable energy and power access in the ministry, represented him at the event.

“This is premised on the fact that Government is desirous of creating alternative energy sources, especially solar, so as to have a robust energy mix,” said Ighali.

He also assured that the sector is prepared to assist genuine private investors to tap into the vast investment opportunities in power generation through solar means.

While calling on other investors to replicate such projects across the country especially in the North where we have abundant sunlight, the permanent secretary said he was excited that the project would soon be inaugurated.

In his remarks, Mobolaji Durodola, the managing director of Quaint Energy, promised that his company’s partnership with Access Power would ensure prompt delivery of the project for public use.

Durodola also said that the project will go a long way in providing alternative energy to rural folks, thereby improving their respective standards of living.

Nigeria’s track record in solar energy capacity is not impressive when compared with that of its peers in the comity of nations.

The country has only two wind powered plants of 110mw and 5 solar powered plants of 189mw, according to data obtained by BusinessDay from the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC). Yet, they are neither completed nor connected to the grid.

This is contrary to Ghana’s 155 megawatt from a single solar power plant located at Nzema. The £248 million facility is the largest solar energy plant in Africa and fourth largest in the world.

It is expected to power more than 100,000 homes and increase Ghana’s electricity generation capacity by 6 percent when completed at the end of 2015.