FG Commissions Nigeria’s First Solar/Wind Power Plant In Niger State

The minister of power, Prof Chinedu Nebo, at the
weekend, commissioned a 25 kilowatt (kw) Hybrid solar
PV/wind demonstration power plant located at the
National Power Training institute of Nigeria (NAPTIN),
Regional Training Centre, Kainji, New Bussa, Niger
State.
The project is an achievement of Nigeria-Germany
Energy partnership under the Nigeria Energy Support
Programme (NESP), an initiative signed between
President Goodluck Jonathan and German chancellor,
Angela Merkel.
Commissioning the project, the minister, who was
represented by the permanent secretary in the ministry,
Godknows Igali, said the project was the first of its kind
in the West African sub-region as the plant combines
more than one source of renewable energy and is able
to operate off-grid as well as on-grid.
The plant, according to the minister consists of a 10kw
solar PV and three wind turbines of 5kw each, making
25kw power plant. The minister, in a statement,
yesterday, by the ministry's deputy director, press,
Ibrahim Haruna, said the plant, in addition to
generating clean energy, is a demonstration and training
facility for students being trained by the NAPTIN.
According to Nebo, the project is helping to provide an
urgent solution to power supply shortages associated
with pipeline vandalism as gas is not required for the
smooth operation of the renewable energy plant.
Nebo commended the German government for their role
in the NESP, a programme implemented by the German
Agency for International Co-operation (GIZ), in
partnership with the Ministry of Power and other
public institutions.