Power plant

As the Federal Government intensifies efforts to address the problem of inadequate gas supply to fire the thermal power plants, Ejiofor Alike examines the relevance of alternative energy sources developed by Schneider Electric as immediate solutions to the current energy crisis

The shortfall in gas supply to power stations in the country, which has led to the epileptic power situation in recent months, no doubt, prompted the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke to declare a 12-month emergency plan. The minister said the new measure would swiftly proffer solutions to existing gaps in the supply of gas to the thermal power plants across the country.

She acknowledged the expectations of increased demand for gas by power plants under the National Integrated Power Projects (NIPP). THISDAY gathered that apart from the 250 megawatt Gbarain Ubie Power Station in Bayelsa State, where gas supply will not be an issue, courtesy of Shell Petroleum Development Company, operations of newly-completed NIPP plants will be hampered by inadequate gas supply.

The test-firing of the Alaoji Power Station in Abia State is ongoing but even after its commissioning, there will be insufficient gas to fire the four gas turbines, leading to loss of 504MW. Owing to the shortfall in gas to the plant, the turbines would be hard pressed to generate enough steam to run the steam turbines, leading to another loss of over 400MW.

Similarly, the Sapele Power Station has been technically completed, with one of the gas turbines already running until it was shut down on account of inadequate gas, resulting in a loss of 115MW. At the Olorunsogo Power Station in Ewekoro Local Government Area of Ogun State, 375MW is currently idle also for the same reason.

The Omotosho Power Station Phase 2 in Okitipupa Local Government Area of Ondo State is also technically completed but lacks gas to fire the plants, leading to loss of 451MW. Ihovbor Power Station in Edo State has four units of 112.5MW each and a total capacity of 450MW but the plant is idle due to lack of gas.

The Calabar Power Station has five gas turbines of 112.3MW each, with a total capacity of 562.5MW. But concern has been raised that if the test-firing is successfully completed, there will be no gas to power the plants, leading to 562.5MW of idle capacity. Addax Petroleum, which is billed to provide the gas from one of its nearby offshore facilities to the plant, has said the gas would not be available until 2014.

Short-term Measures

As the country awaits the benefits of the government’s efforts to address the gas challenges, there is increasing need for short-term solutions to supply electricity to off-grid communities and other areas with epileptic supply.

Several short-term solutions have been developed by Schneider Electric, a global specialist in energy management, which has embarked on the provision of renewable energy solutions to rural communities in Ogun, Edo and Rivers States.

Statistics show that over 600 million people, who do not have access to electricity reside in sub-Saharan Africa, while in Nigeria, over 60 per cent of rural communities are not connected to the national grid.

It is against this backdrop that Schneider is collaborating with relevant government agencies to provide access to renewable energies for communities that are not connected to electricity supply. A community in Ogun State is already the first beneficiary in Africa.

Commenting on the project, Director-General of the Energy Commission of Nigeria, Prof. Abubakar Sambo stated that by using solar photovoltaic panels of only five per cent efficiency, the country could generate close to 600,000MW, from only one per cent of its land area. Sambo also disclosed that despite the huge cost of solar energy, the pay-back period was only about four to five years.

Villasol Solution

In this regard, Schneider intends to use Villasol, a solar-powered micro off-grid facility for decentralised rural electrification. The company recently executed a Villasol project in Asore, a rural community in Ado-Odo Local Government Area of Ogun State.

Speaking during the handover ceremony of the project, Schneider’s Vice-President for Middle East and Africa, Mr. Guillaume Schoebel said the project was the first of its kind, not only in Nigeria but the entire sub-Saharan Africa. He said before this latest initiative, the Asore community had no access to electricity. Country President of Schneider Electric Nigeria, Mr. Marcel Hochet said the company had a global strategy to always contribute, as much as possible, to the development of its host countries, in alignment with the countries’ policies and regulations.

Governor Ibikunle Amosun, who was represented during the ceremony by his deputy, Prince Segun Adesegun, said Asore community had become a prototype of his administration’s rural development agenda.

In-Diya Solution

Another energy solution, In-Diya, is a highly energy-efficient LED based lighting system that can illuminate a room better than 11 watts of CFL. In-Diya provides backup light of between 8-15 hours. In-Diya also has an unmatched life span of 50,000 hours or more than 20 years.

This solution was recently implemented in Odighi, a rural community of Edo State and the project was financed by the United Nations Development Project (UNDP). Speaking at the event, Hochet stated that his company was concerned about people in rural communities across Nigeria with no access to the national grid. “We understand this massive challenge and we are ready to bring our technology and solutions to support initiatives aimed at extending power to the rural areas,” he said.

In his goodwill message, Edo State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr. Louis Odion stated that the Edo State Government shares the view that there is a need to diversify sources of energy in the state.  He said that renewable energy sources have an edge because it is cost effective, less hazardous and does not affect the environment unlike the conventional sources of power.

Water of the Sun

Schneider is also introducing its Water of the Sun, a solar solution developed to enhance access to safe water by people especially in rural communities without connection to grid electricity. Water of the Sun provides a pumping solution through power supplied by solar panels.

So far, the solution has been deployed to provide water to the Federal Government Girls Secondary School in Nassarawa State. The project was financed by Total Exploration and Production, a subsidiary of the Total Group.

Harnessing Alternative Energy

In the absence of adequate gas to fire the power plants, renewable energy is no doubt, a viable option to address the immediate challenges. Sambo said renewable energy sources are always available on a cyclic basis, stressing that it would never be exhausted, unlike the finite energy fuels such as oil, coal and gas.

According to him, the Federal Government, through the Energy Commission of Nigeria, was compelled to advise states and local governments on sustainable energy practices.“As long as there is life in us, solar energy will always be there, everyday. When the Sun comes up, solar energy begins to be available. We also have wind as a renewable energy. Wind arises as a result of extra-terrestrial solar heating of the air masses in the extra-terrestrial space; leading to pressure differences, manifesting in the flow of air.

“We can also tap significant amounts of energy from wind. So solar energy that is the number one, as far as renewable energy is concerned, is something we have to do everything possible to harness,” he said.

Schneider’s initiative in the provision of solar power is undoubtedly worthy of replication in other towns and villages, to boost President Goodluck Jonathan’s efforts to improve power supply in the country.

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Statistics show that over 600 million people, who do not have access to electricity reside in sub-Saharan Africa, while in Nigeria, over 60 per cent of rural communities are not connected to the national grid.