REA, South Korea’s KIAT advance plan to establish 1,600 kWp four standalone mini-grids in Abuja
The Rural Electrification Agency(REA) has advanced the plan to establish four (4) standalone mini-grids with a total Photovoltaics(PV) capacity of 1,600 kWp in unelectrified areas in Abuja, through the support of the South Korean Government.
This was revealed by Sanusi Ohiare, Executive Director of Technical Services Rural Electrification Agency(REA) on Monday when the Nigeria team paid a working visit to the Korean Institute for Advancement of Technology (KIAT) in Seoul, the Capital of South Korea.
EnergyDay gathered that the session was a follow-up to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that the Federal Government of Nigeria through the REA and the South Korean Government signed in June 2022, for the premium-grade mini-grid projects designed to deliver a total renewable energy capacity of 1.6 MWp and 3.0 MWhr system.
The Official Development Assistance (ODA) project was designed to have the country’s first large-scale solar mini-grid in the country.
The state-of-the-art energy management system (EMS), it was revealed, has the potential to host all mini-grids in the country, auxiliary services, such as productive appliances including milling, grain, drying, water systems, lighting, and smart metering devices.
Initiated as an in-kind project, the ODA project will be delivered by a consortium of Korean partners with valuable expertise in different technical areas and will ultimately provide clean, safe, and renewable energy to Rubochi/Tika, Wako/Kwaita Sabo, Ikwa/Goyan, and Kugbaru communities.
Engr. Ahmad Salihijo Ahmad, the MD/CEO of REA explained that the REA will work in lockstep with the Federal Ministry of Power to form a joint implementation committee for a smooth implementation of the project.
He noted that such multi-national collaborations targeted at optimizing renewable energy in Nigeria will further help to close the energy gap in the nation while improving the system technical standardization and productive use model of energy by beneficiaries.
He also reiterated the high quality of the Korean products and construction materials, adding that with the technology transfer and project sustainability component of the project, the project’s long-term sustainability has been duly captured from its inception.
The KIAT’s technical team assured that the project is expected to be delivered in 45 months targeted to serve the Nigerian populace.
