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The Potential of Renewable Energy And its Current Status ln Nigeria

The Potential of Renewable Energy And its Current Status ln Nigeria

Nigeria, as a country, is facing electricity challenges, and this has caused many other sectors in the country’s economy to scramble.

The truth is that about 40 percent of Nigerian residents are connected to the national grid and these percentages of the Nigerian population are usually exposed to power outages on a frequent basis.


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However, the country’s electricity grid is majorly powered by hydropower and also depleting hydrocarbon resources.

Read Also: 23 Renewable Energy Companies in Nigeria

The Potential of Renewable Energy And its Current Status ln Nigeria
The Potential of Renewable Energy – Photo Source: https://energywatch-inc.com

Electricity generation on the basis of fossil is said to have contributed to increasing in carbon footprints in the country, and this aspect of electricity generation has also exposed Nigeria to price hike in petroleum resources, as well as, political instability, especially from the states that produced oil in the country.

Potentials of Renewable Energy

Nigeria is considered to be a nation, whose renewable energy has not been tapped. The North, for instance, is known to have an average of solar insolation of 2200 kWh/^2 while the South, is 1800kWh/m^2. The potentials of renewable energy are grouped as followed.

Physical Potential of Renewable Energy

When we say physical potential, we are simply talking about the untapped renewable energy in Nigeria.

Read Also: Progress of Renewable Energy in Nigeria

Solar Potential of Renewable Potential

Nigeria, as a country is said to have enormous solar energy potential, and these include fairly distributed solar radiation, which averaged 19.8 MJm2/day as well as, an average sunshine hour of about 6h/day. Whereas, concentrated solar power and that of photovoltaic generation is about 427,000 MW.

Hydro Potential of Renewable Energy

Hydropower has remained over the year, a cornerstone of Nigeria’s grid-powered generation, and the country’s hydro-based power generation is about 15 percent.

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In Nigeria, there are large rivers as well as, some few natural falls. In fact almost every part of the country has potential site for the exploitation of hydropower with estimation of about 3,500 MW capacity.

The river system in the country, which according to statistics, is providing a total of about 70 micro-dams, and also 126 mini dams, as well as, 86 small sites, and it is said to supply approximately a technically exploitable large hydropower potential estimated at about 11,2500 MW capacity.

According to the report, it is only about 17 percent of hydro potential that is being tapped. The report also had it that, potential large investments in most important hydropower sources, including some other plans, such as, the dam for the Mambilla, which is in Plateau state in the northern part of Nigeria, is said to have been struggling as a result of large investments cost which was required for the investment.

In the country, the potential for small hydropower is said to have about 3,500 MW capacity, and it is only about 64.2 MW capacity that is being exploited. By 2020 however, the federal government is working toward increasing the hydroelectricity generation capacity in the country to about 5,690 MW.

Read Also: Policy on Renewable Energy in Nigeria

Wind Energy Potential

Wind energy potential in the country is said to be very modest, and it also has an annual average speed of say, 2.0 m/s, and this is at the coastal region as well as, 4.0 m/s at heights of 30m, and it is in the northern region. According to the wind energy resource mapping report, which was carried out by the Federal Ministry of Science and

Technology, the wind speed is said to be about 5m/s. This was what was recorded in some of the locations that were suitable, which of course, has revealed a moderate as well as, the local potential for wind energy.

In Nigeria, the highest wind speeds are usually in the Sokoto and Jos, and Gembu including Kano and Funtua. And also from the report, cities like, Maiduguri, and Lagos as well as, Enugu are also identified for fair wind speeds, which is almost sufficient for generating energy by wind farms. Apart from these areas mentioned, some other promising regions in the country that has usable wind potential are also identified on the

Country’s western shoreline, for example, Lagos Region and also partly on the Mambila in Plateau state

Biomass Energy Potential

The country’s biomass resources are mostly from crops, and forage grasses, and shrubs, and animal wastes as well as, waste that come from forestry, as well as, agriculture plus municipal and industrial activities.

These crops include sweet sorghum, and maize, as well as sugarcane, all these crops are the major feedstock, which actually produced biofuel.

Statistics, however, had it that, the daily basis production of animal waste is about 227,500 tons in Nigeria, and it is said to be able to lead to say, 6.8 million m3 of biogas.

Read Also: Status of Renewable Energy in Nigeria

Status of Nigeria’s Renewable Energy

It is about 80 percent of the energy consumed in Nigeria currently is gotten directly from petroleum. Hence, the nation’s over-dependence on fossil fuels, which is actually being derived from petroleum so as to be used for local consumption needs has seems to be a thing of serious concern for the country, particularly in two different ways, which are, the depletion of the resources and also the negative impact on the environment.

The policy of Renewable Energy in Nigeria

2003, the federal government had made policy and introduced renewable energy as being among the country’s National Energy Policy.

However, it was in 2006 that the Renewable Energy Master Plan (REMP), made Nigeria venture into short-term, and medium-term, as well as long-term goals of developing and implementing renewable energy resources.

According to the National Energy Policy in Nigeria, the country is tasked with, first of all, the protection of the Nigeria's environment in the event of exploiting fossil fuels.

Secondly, it followed with a greater emphasis on how to utilize renewable energy in the country. As we speak, renewable energy policy is actually in the process of implementing in Nigeria.

Nigeria has been reputed as a country that is blessed with renewable energy resources,

but the challenge is that these abundant resources have not been exploited fully. The

renewable resources in the country, according to a reliable source, have the capacity of changing the level of power generation and power consumption in Nigeria.

Nevertheless, the report had it that there is no comprehensive review of renewable energy development in the country. However, this article is aiming at filling the gap by paying attention to the present status of renewable energy in the country.

Read Also: Electricity in Nigeria – Causes Poor Power Supply and Possible Solutions

Conclusion

The renewable resources in the country, according to a reliable source, have the capacity of changing the level of power generation and power consumption in Nigeria.

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Joseph Athanasius

Joseph Athanasius is a Content Developer at InfoGuideNIgeria.com. InfoGuide Nigeria is a team of Resource Persons and Consultants led by Ifiokobong Ibanga. Page maintained by Ifiokobong Ibanga. If you need a personal assistance on this topic, kindly contact us.

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