Nigeria’s sovereign fund to pilot improvement of 20 megawatts photo voltaic plant

ABUJA, March 19 (Reuters) – Nigeria’s sovereign fund plans to construct a 20 megawatts solar energy plant in partnership with an area agency, first section of a 300 megawatts venture, the nation’s Vice President Kashim Shettima mentioned on Tuesday.

Shettima didn’t disclose the price of the venture or when building will begin.

Nigeria, with a inhabitants of greater than 200 million individuals, has put in energy era capability of 12,500 megawatts (MW) however produces a fraction of that, leaving tens of millions of households and companies reliant on petrol and diesel mills.

The vice chairman mentioned on Tuesday in Abuja on the signing of the three way partnership between the Nigerian Sovereign Funding Authority (NSIA) and North South Energy (NSP) Firm Ltd for the institution of the Shiroro Producing Firm, the nation’s pioneer on-grid solar-hydro hybrid venture.

The Shiroro Producing Firm is hybrid venture is situated in Shiroro, in Nigeria’s northwest of Niger state.

Shettima mentioned the 20 megawatt pilot venture is embedded inside a 300 megawatt photo voltaic programme, to be co-located inside NSP’s present 600 megawatt Shiroro Hydroelectric Energy Plant concession space in Shiroro, Niger State.

“As a nation, our resolve is to take proactive steps to diversify our power sources, scale back our carbon footprints and guarantee a extra sustainable future for generations to come back,” the vice chairman mentioned in an announcement.

“This venture will catalyze the belief of different hydro-solar initiatives and function a check case for deployment of photo voltaic power on to the nationwide grid.”

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Reporting by Felix Onuah
Writing by Chijioke Ohuocha
Enhancing by Nick Zieminski

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