Nigeria’s energy sector faces challenges with regard to inadequate electricity access, leading to reliance on costly generators. Transitioning to renewables offers solutions. Samuel Ajala reports.
尼日利亚能源部门面临电力供应不足的挑战，导致对昂贵发电机的依赖。向可再生能源过渡提供了解决方案。塞缪尔·阿贾拉报道。
Nigeria has the largest economy in Sub-Saharan Africa, with an estimated population of 226 million as at 2023. A significant amount of the economy is powered largely by small-scale generators, and almost 50% of the population have limited or no access to the grid. This is because the country’s electricity supply sector is characterized by inadequate production, transmission and distribution of electricity, which continues to rise. The electricity access rate in Nigeria was 59.50% as of 2021, while there are about 92 million people without power in the country. As a result, Nigerians and their businesses spend almost $14 billion annually on inefficient generation that is expensive ($0.40/kWh or more), of poor quality, noisy and polluting.
尼日利亚是撒哈拉以南非洲地区最大的经济体，预计到 2023 年人口将达到 2.26 亿。经济的很大一部分主要由小型发电机提供动力，而近 50% 的人口获得的电力有限或根本无法获得电力。网格。这是因为该国电力供应行业的特点是电力生产、输送和分配不足，且电力持续增长。截至2021年，尼日利亚电力接入率为59.50%，而该国约有9200万人无电。因此，尼日利亚人和他们的企业每年花费近 140 亿美元用于低效发电，这些发电成本昂贵（0.40 美元/kWh 或更多）、质量差、噪音大且污染严重。
According to a report by the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), developing off-grid alternatives to complement the grid could create a $9.2-billion-per-year market opportunity for mini-grids and solar home systems that will save $4.4 billion per year for Nigerian homes and businesses. The country’s energy mix is largely dominated by non-renewable, thermal (natural gas and coal) energy sources, which make up 81% of the total installed capacity. Nigeria has shown its commitment to the global transition to a sustainable energy future and increasing its share of renewables in the energy mix.
根据农村电气化局 (REA) 的一份报告，开发离网替代方案来补充电网可以为微型电网和太阳能家用系统创造每年 92 亿美元的市场机会，每年将为小型电网和太阳能家庭系统节省 44 亿美元。尼日利亚的家庭和企业。该国的能源结构主要以不可再生热能（天然气和煤炭）为主，占总装机容量的 81%。尼日利亚表明了其对全球向可持续能源未来转型的承诺，并增加了可再生能源在能源结构中的份额。
Renewable sources – solar, wind, biomass and hydro – potential in Nigeria has been estimated at over 68,000 MW, which has led to a rapidly increasing demand for energy services. Nigeria signed and ratified the Paris Agreement, a landmark agreement to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions to limit global temperature increase to below 2°C, and has made commitments to develop its energy system in line with these goals. In 2021, the Nigerian government launched its energy transition plan to achieve universal energy access by 2030 and a carbon-neutral economy by 2060. The plan aims to bring modern energy services to the full population. Getting off-grid solutions to scale and commercial viability in Nigeria will unlock an enormous market opportunity with smaller demand and/or less robust economies.
尼日利亚的可再生能源（太阳能、风能、生物质能和水力）潜力估计超过 68,000 兆瓦，这导致对能源服务的需求迅速增长。尼日利亚签署并批准了《巴黎协定》，这是一项具有里程碑意义的协议，旨在减少全球温室气体排放，将全球气温上升限制在2°C以下，并承诺根据这些目标发展其能源系统。 2021年，尼日利亚政府启动能源转型计划，目标是到2030年实现全民能源普及，到2060年实现碳中和经济。该计划旨在为全民提供现代能源服务。在尼日利亚获得规模化和商业可行性的离网解决方案将在需求较小和/或经济不那么强劲的情况下释放巨大的市场机会。
Energy poverty challenges faced by local communities
当地社区正面临的能源不足
Damilola Hamid Balogun, co-founder and chief executive officer of Youth Sustainable Development Network, said in an interview with Energytransition.org that many rural communities in Nigeria faced severe energy poverty. He said that only about 30% of the rural population had access to electricity, leaving the remaining 70% underserved. According to Balogun: ‘The national grid favored urban areas due to higher demand and better payment capabilities, neglecting remote communities. Residents often relied on expensive and polluting diesel generators. This lack of reliable electricity hindered economic activities, access to clean water, healthcare services, and educational opportunities and slowing down development.’ Chibueze Ekeh, CEO of Ceesolar Energy Limited, also noted that local communities faced perpetual power outage with no access to the grid. He noted that lack of electricity made it difficult for businesses to operate efficiently, increased the cost of operations due to reliance on generators and negatively impacted essential services like healthcare and education.
青年可持续发展网络联合创始人兼首席执行官达米洛拉·哈米德·巴洛贡在接受Energytransition.org采访时表示，尼日利亚许多农村社区面临着严重的能源贫困。他说，只有约30%的农村人口用上了电，其余70%的人电力供应不足。巴洛贡表示：“由于需求更高、支付能力更好，国家电网青睐城市地区，而忽视了偏远社区。居民经常依赖昂贵且污染严重的柴油发电机。 Ceesolar Energy Limited 首席执行官 Chibueze Ekeh 还指出，缺乏可靠的电力阻碍了经济活动、获得清洁水、医疗服务和教育机会，并减缓了发展速度。 。他指出，电力短缺使企业难以有效运营，由于对发电机的依赖而增加了运营成本，并对医疗保健和教育等基本服务产生了负面影响。
Roles played by governments and private companies
政府和私营公司所扮演的角色
The Nigerian Rural Electrification Agency is tasked with the electrification of rural and unserved communities. Balogun added that local governments and private companies have played crucial roles in supporting renewable energy projects in Nigeria. He said that the REA has been instrumental in funding and overseeing the deployment of renewable energy solutions: ‘The recent Rural Electrification Agency (REA) projects have resulted in the generation of 600 megawatts (MW) of electricity, impacting about five million people across the country. Solar mini-grid systems powered six communities with a 100 kilowatts (kW) system, providing energy for over 8,155 people, including 5,000 active farmers. ‘Clearly, this shift to renewable energy has reduced the reliance on expensive and unreliable fossil-fuel generators, leading to lower electricity costs and enhanced energy reliability, which has substantially improved the quality of life in rural areas,’ he continued.
尼日利亚农村电气化局的任务是实现农村和无服务社区的电气化。巴洛贡补充说，地方政府和私营公司在支持尼日利亚可再生能源项目方面发挥了至关重要的作用。他表示，REA 在资助和监督可再生能源解决方案的部署方面发挥了重要作用：“最近的农村电气化局 (REA) 项目已产生 600 兆瓦 (MW) 电力，影响了全国约 500 万人。国家。太阳能迷你电网系统为 6 个社区提供 100 千瓦 (kW) 系统供电，为超过 8,155 人提供能源，其中包括 5,000 名活跃农民。他继续说道：“显然，向可再生能源的转变减少了对昂贵且不可靠的化石燃料发电机的依赖，从而降低了电力成本并提高了能源可靠性，从而大大提高了农村地区的生活质量。”
Local renewable grids positively impacting communities
当地可再生电网对社区产生积极影响
Ekeh said that local renewable grids have made a significant impact on Nigerian communities by providing affordable and reliable electricity. He said his team carried out the Abaribara project in Cross River State to install a 27 kWp solar hybrid mini-grid that has drastically improved the power supply of the whole community. According to Ekeh: ‘Before implementing the renewable grid in Abaribara, the community faced perpetual power outage with no access to the grid. Only a handful of privileged local community members had the small “I better pass my neighbor” generator.’
埃克表示，当地可再生电网通过提供负担得起且可靠的电力对尼日利亚社区产生了重大影响。他说，他的团队在克罗斯河州开展了阿巴里巴拉项目，安装了27千瓦的太阳能混合迷你电网，极大地改善了整个社区的电力供应。 Ekeh 表示：“在阿巴里巴拉实施可再生能源电网之前，该社区面临着永久断电、无法接入电网的问题。只有少数享有特权的当地社区成员拥有小型“我最好超越我的邻居”发电机。
He added that: ‘This lack of electricity made it difficult for businesses to operate efficiently, increased the cost of operations due to reliance on generators, and negatively impacted essential services like healthcare and education. The community’s agricultural productivity was also hampered because they couldn’t use modern processing equipment without a reliable power source.’ Balogun also alluded to the fact that local renewable grids have significantly transformed communities in Nigeria by providing more affordable and reliable electricity. He said collaborations have enabled the installation of solar mini-grids in local communities with the implementation of SHS technology, and innovative solutions like the CoolCycle initiative led, by his team and Kamim Technologies, which repurposes discarded generator materials to create solar-powered cooling systems: ‘These partnerships have been essential in scaling up renewable energy projects and ensuring their sustainability.’ He also said that in line with global trends, Nigeria’s focus on solar energy mirrors the recent S&P Global Commodity Insights projection that solar will receive the largest share of clean energy investments in 2024, accounting for about 55% of the total $800 billion expected globally: ‘This alignment shows Nigeria’s commitment to harnessing solar power for sustainable development.’
他补充说：“电力短缺使企业难以有效运营，由于对发电机的依赖而增加了运营成本，并对医疗保健和教育等基本服务产生了负面影响。该社区的农业生产力也受到阻碍，因为如果没有可靠的电源，他们就无法使用现代加工设备。”巴洛贡还提到，当地可再生电网通过提供更实惠、更可靠的电力，极大地改变了尼日利亚的社区。他表示，通过实施 SHS 技术以及由他的团队和 Kamim Technologies 领导的 CoolCycle 计划等创新解决方案，合作使当地社区能够安装太阳能迷你电网，该计划重新利用废弃的发电机材料来创建太阳能冷却系统：“这些伙伴关系对于扩大可再生能源项目并确保其可持续性至关重要。”他还表示，根据全球趋势，尼日利亚对太阳能的关注反映了标准普尔全球商品洞察最近的预测，即太阳能将占据最大份额。到 2024 年，清洁能源投资将占全球预计 8000 亿美元总额的 55% 左右：“这一调整表明尼日利亚致力于利用太阳能促进可持续发展。”
Finally, Balogun said that the integration of renewable energy grids in Nigeria’s rural communities exemplifies the transformative potential of sustainable energy solutions. ‘Beyond addressing immediate energy needs, these initiatives contribute to broader goals of environmental sustainability by reducing carbon emissions and reliance on fossil fuels. As such, I believe that by continuing fostering partnerships between government, private sector, and local communities, particularly in boosting renewable energy investments, Nigeria can continue to expand energy access, promote economic development, and improve the overall quality of life for its rural population,’ he concluded.
最后，巴洛贡表示，尼日利亚农村社区可再生能源电网的整合体现了可持续能源解决方案的变革潜力。 “除了解决眼前的能源需求之外，这些举措还通过减少碳排放和对化石燃料的依赖，有助于实现更广泛的环境可持续性目标。因此，我相信，通过继续培育政府、私营部门和当地社区之间的伙伴关系，特别是在增加可再生能源投资方面，尼日利亚可以继续扩大能源供应，促进经济发展，并提高农村人口的整体生活质量，”他总结道。
END
