Stakeholders Prepare for Future Energy Nigeria Confab

By Dipo Olowookere

Dates have been fixed for the 15th edition of Future Energy Nigeria taking place at Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos from November 13-14, 2018.

A statement issued by the organisers said an addition to the event is the Generation Knowledge Hub aimed at assisting the local power producers and large power consumers to address the country’s insufficient generation capacity. Participants will receive a certificate of attendance.

“Nigeria’s energy potential and its challenges are well known and reported on,” says Future Energy Nigeria event director Chanelle Hingston. She adds, “The country is endowed with large oil, gas, hydro and solar resources, and it has the potential to generate 12,522 megawatts (MW) of electric power from existing plants. However, most days only about 4,000 MW is generated and 20 million households are still without power while the current rural access rate is 36%.”

Miss Hingston continues, “We have sourced inspiring success stories and case studies from the industry to look at how companies themselves can install capacity, specifically for the rural communities off-grid and through renewables. During the Future Energy Nigeria Generation Knowledge Hub, speakers will focus on off-grid projects which can avoid lengthy approvals and complex funding models. We also focus on accelerating rural access through renewable energy.”

The second day of the Generation Knowledge Hub will look at the advancing Gas-to-Power projects and analysing how Nigeria perceives thermal generation. The burning question whether Gas-to-Power can complement renewables will also be discussed.

The Future Energy Nigeria director continues, “The afternoon of the second day of the Generation Knowledge Hub is specifically for the industrial and large power user audience. The programme will offer solutions for how users can reduce their energy bills, whilst securing energy security by making efficiency savings and an A-Z of installing solar power.”

“Nigeria is having success stories in the deployment of mini and micro solutions and most SEPAN’s institutional members have been part of it. Nigeria’s Rural Electrification Agency (REA) is also re-inventing itself with the focus on the promotion of off-grid, mini-grid renewable energy solutions working with the private sectors investors to achieve fast rural electrification.” – Dr Magnus C. Onuoha, National President at the Sustainable Energy Practitioners Association of Nigeria (SEPAN)

“Developing a hybrid DC/AC networked smart micro grid or mini grid interconnected with each other and with district or national grid infrastructure is undoubtedly the best solution for Nigeria and Africa, i.e. enable large scale renewable energy generation at lowest possible system cost with highest maximum efficiency. It means solar and renewable energy are both affordable and easy to access. For the people who need it most,” said Professor Xiongwei Liu, Entrust Microgrid of the Lancaster Environment Centre in the UK.