By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The Managing Director of Wärtsilä in Nigeria, Mr Wale Yusuff, has listed some ingredients Nigeria needs to gather to achieve green electrification goals without breaking the bank.
Speaking recently at the 2023 Energy Transition Forum, the energy expert noted that contrary to the general belief, wind and solar are by far the cheapest sources of new electricity available, emphasising that their massive deployment is what will significantly bring the overall system costs down.
According to him, the adoption of cleaner energy sources by the government, households and businesses will lead the country to the path of decarbonisation.
He argued that grid flexibility is going to be the true cornerstone of Nigeria’s decarbonisation efforts, noting that with smart planning, strategy, transparent government regulations, and the use of technology, the lowest cost of electricity can be delivered to the people.
“Flexibility in the grid comes from balancing power technologies, namely energy storage and engine power plants, which help avoid unnecessary stress in the power system,” he posited.
Speaking further, Mr Yusuff pointed out that, “A lot of Nigerians still think that a renewable energy-based power system is expensive and unreliable, but it doesn’t have to be.
“On the contrary, I am confident we can reach universal and reliable access to low-cost clean power provided we don’t lose sight of the big picture strategy and develop the power system in logical steps.
“All the technologies needed for a net zero power system in Nigeria are already a reality: renewables, energy storage, balancing power plants, and sustainable fuels such as green hydrogen, ammonia, and methanol. These are the key ingredients needed to achieve our green electrification goals.”
He also disclosed that to meet the explosive growth of Nigeria’s electricity demand, the country’s power infrastructure must also be quickly expanded and modernised, both in terms of generation and transmission.
“Bridging our infrastructure gap will require the union of different market forces: financing institutions both multilateral and local, government planning and private capital involvement,” he submitted.
Ultimate fuel flexibility
Last year, Wärtsilä released a report which provides a detailed and realistic roadmap showing how Nigeria should proceed to build a 100 per cent renewable energy power system by 2060.
The report shows that Nigeria has everything it needs to successfully accomplish its electrification goals. It benefits from fantastic solar energy resources, but it also has significant, and largely untapped gas resources.
Gas is a key transitional energy source that is set to play an important role in the country’s electrification. That’s why the gas infrastructure must also be rapidly ramped up. Cheap domestic gas is necessary to fuel the flexible engine power plants we need to balance a renewable grid in the short and medium term.
Modupe Gbadeyanka 
Adedapo Adesanya