Powering the Unconnected: Gloria Usiagu Champions Energy Storage Solutions for Off-Grid Communities

By Salami Adeyinka

While managing billion-dollar gas facilities might seem worlds away from the energy challenges facing remote communities, Gloria Siwe Usiagu sees a clear connection between industrial-scale operations and grassroots energy access. Her latest research into energy storage systems for off-grid communities reflects a broader vision of how technical expertise gained in major oil and gas operations can address fundamental energy inequality.

“Working with complex energy systems at industrial scale teaches you that reliable energy access isn’t just about generation—it’s about storage, distribution, and system resilience,” Usiagu explains from her role leading Shell’s Nun River/ Diebu Creek Production Unit. “The same principles that ensure uninterrupted gas supply to millions of consumers can be applied to bringing reliable electricity to communities that have never had consistent power.”

Her research into energy storage technologies for off-grid applications emerges from observing the stark energy disparities across Nigeria’s diverse regions. While leading operations that process over 700 million standard cubic feet of gas daily for urban centers and industrial facilities, she remains acutely aware of rural communities lacking basic electricity access just kilometers away from major energy infrastructure.

“Energy storage represents the missing link between renewable potential and reliable access,” she argues. “Solar and wind resources are abundant in many off-grid regions, but without appropriate storage systems, these resources can’t provide the consistent power that communities need for economic development and improved quality of life.”

Her techno-economic evaluation approach reflects her industrial engineering background and operational experience managing complex cost-benefit analyses across major energy projects. Rather than promoting single technology solutions, she advocates for comprehensive assessments that consider local contexts, technical capabilities, and long-term sustainability.

“The biggest mistake in off-grid energy development is assuming that technologies successful in developed markets will automatically work in remote communities,” she observes. “Effective energy storage deployment requires understanding local technical capacity, maintenance capabilities, climate conditions, and economic constraints that may not be obvious to outside developers.”

Her analysis of lithium-ion versus lead-acid battery systems exemplifies this nuanced approach. While acknowledging lithium-ion’s superior technical performance, she emphasizes how factors like local technical support, replacement part availability, and upfront capital constraints can make seemingly inferior technologies more appropriate for specific contexts.

“Lithium-ion batteries offer impressive energy density and efficiency, but they’re only optimal if communities can access technical support and replacement components when needed,” she explains. “Sometimes a technically inferior solution that communities can maintain and repair locally delivers better long-term outcomes than advanced technology that becomes useless when it fails.”

Her evaluation of mechanical storage solutions like compressed air energy storage and pumped hydro reflects her background managing complex industrial systems. “These technologies face scalability challenges in small off-grid applications, but they offer advantages in maintenance simplicity and component durability that deserve consideration in appropriate contexts.”

The research represents her vision of applying industrial energy expertise to address fundamental development challenges. “My experience managing complex energy systems has taught me that reliable power transforms communities in ways that extend far beyond lighting and electronics,” she notes. “Energy storage can enable economic activities, improve healthcare delivery, and create educational opportunities that break cycles of poverty.”

Her strategic framework for energy storage deployment emphasizes site-specific optimization over standardized solutions. “Every off-grid community has unique energy requirements, resource constraints, and technical capabilities,” she explains. “Effective energy storage deployment requires understanding these local factors and designing systems that communities can own, operate, and benefit from sustainably.”

“Energy access isn’t just about technology — it’s about creating pathways for communities to participate in economic development,” Usiagu concludes. “When energy storage systems are designed with community needs and capabilities at the center, they become catalysts for broader transformation rather than just technical solutions to power supply challenges.”