Nigeria
Near the center of Nigeria lies the Jos Plateau, which gives its name to Plateau State. The region’s mountainous geography means it has proved difficult to electrify using conventional means. Huawei’s Microgrid Solar Solution, however, has proved indispensable in delivering reliable power to settlements and industry across the state.
According to World Bank statistics, as of 2019, only 55.4% of Nigerians had access to electricity, meaning approximately 85 million Nigerians do not. A statistic made more startling when one realizes Nigeria is set to surpass the United States in population by 2050, becoming the third-most-populous country on the planet.
Hence why the Federal Government of Nigeria’s Rural Electrification Agency (REA) and the Nigeria Electrification Project (NEP), which receives funding from the World Bank and the African Development Bank, commissioned a 234 kW solar hybrid microgrid in the Shimankar Community of Plateau State.
Shimankar is a farming village on the banks of the River Shimankar. Traditional rulership of the village resides with His Royal Highness Miskoom Maurice Manu Danjuma III. His Royal Highness attended the ribbon-cutting event for the completion of the solar minigrid in October 2020, thanking all those involved for this great aid to local businesses. “Our businesses are now fully operational – especially at night,” he said. “Our businesses are growing; we can buy and enjoy cold beverages in the provision shops. Today is indeed the beginning of better things to come for Shimankar.”
The project, which consists of 234 kW of solar, 236 kWh Huawei lithium-phosphate batteries, 200 kVA Huawei Powercube microgrid inverter and diesel backup generator, was installed by Green Village Electricity (GVE), a specialist in solar minigrid solutions throughout Nigeria. GVE projects limited CEO, Ifeanyi Orajaka, said the project’s aim was to provide reliable electricity to 1,972 households, 273 commercial users, five productive users, and 19 public users. “It’s a thing of pride that GVE, an indigenous Nigerian firm, can be a part of developing Nigeria’s rural areas,” said Orajaka. “Thanks to this project, Nigerian solar developers, like myself, can access these investment opportunities in growing Nigeria’s evolving offgrid sector.”
REA CEO Ahmad Salihijo Ahmad reiterated the sense of pride and fulfillment felt by GVE’s Orajaka, saying that “as an agency, we are responsible for powering unserved and underserved communities, therefore, it is fulfilling every time homes, businesses, schools and medical centres are connected to sustainable solar power. Almost immediately, we are able to witness rural communities being transformed with clean energy through the jobs that are created during construction, to their micro and small businesses scaling to larger capacity thanks to reliable electricity.”
More from our partners
Jordan
The 200-bed multi-speciality Abdali Medical Center in Jordan’s capital, Amman, is one of the newest and most advanced hospitals in the MENA region, a record at least in part provided by its 8.2 MW solar plant.
Local manufacturer Philadelphia Solar’s turnkey solution generates enough clean solar energy to cover the hospital’s consumption, enable extensive medical research and testing, and all with the security of reliable solar self-generation. Philadelphia installed over 25,090 325 Wp panels in an 86,000 square-meter field, and yet still the array meets Huawei’s design concept of “less is more”. The brains behind the operation, the Huawei FusionSolar Smart PV Solution, including a smart PV string inverter SUN2000-42KTL and SmartLogger, help reduce reliance on components like DC combiner boxes and power distribution cabinets. The brains, therefore, make things easier for the brawn.
Abdulrahman Shehadeh, CEO of Philadelphia Solar, whose installation period was shortened and made simpler thanks to Huawei’s contribution, told pv magazine that the 8.2 MW system, which began commercial operations in August 2019, is “considered to be the largest PV system installed for a single medical center in the world.”
So, it is no wonder Mohammed Abu Ghazaleh, chairman of the Abdali Medical Center is pleased to be the owner of this unique solar plant. “We felt the difference in many aspects,” said Ghazaleh. “For example, economically we avoided rising energy costs and that enables us to earn a great return on our investment.”
“Choosing the clean energy option means the sun is the direct source that will enlighten our buildings,” continued Ghazaleh. “That encouraged us to go solar for a better world.”
Source: pv magazine
