New Telegraph

Buhari: Solar power integration’ll translate to increase in electricity access

President Muhammadu Buhari has said the rapid integration of solar power into Nigeria’s energymixwillincreaseelectricitysupplytounderserved and unserved communities. Buhari said this yesterday when he received a delegation from Sun Africa LLC, a US-based solar project developer, atthePresidentialVilla, according to a release by his spokesman Femi Adesina.

He commended the interest of the US developer in investing in the country’s power sector, promising that the government would remain committed to collaboratingwiththeprivatesector in improving energy access, creating jobs and industrial development. Buhari said his administration had embarked on several reforms aimed at revitalising the energy sector and improving access for communities.

He listed the signing of the Nigeria Climate Change Bill, implementation of the Power Sector Recovery Program with the World Bank and Nigeria Electrification Program aimed at enhancing energy access to remote communities as highlights of some of the reforms embarked upon by his administration to address the nation’s energy needs.

He added that the Presidential Power Initiative with Siemens is aimed at achieving end-to-end alignment across the electricity value chain. The President said: “Initiatives like these will go a long way in developing local capacity through technology transfer and relieving transmission constraints through the generation and distribution of electricity in the local Distribution Companies Franchise Area, making off-take easier.

‘‘The ministers of Finance and Power, as well as other agencies of government, will remain available at all times, to ensure the achievement of this significant project as part of our efforts towards achieving Net Zero Emission by 2050. “I’m pleased to note the technology transfer content embedded in this initiative as well as the employment generation potential.” Goran Rajsic, Founder, Sun Africa LLC, said the renewable and infrastructure company hoped to deliver solar power in multiple locations across the country, just as it has done in Angola, with financing done through the US EXIM Bank. He said his organisation, working with other leading energy companies, has the capacity to do what Nigeria requires in the area of power.

In a separate interaction with newsmen after the meeting with the President, the Sun Africa LLC boss said his company would be investing $1.5 billion to provide 1, 000 megawatts of renewable energy to the country. He said the project would be delivered within the next 30 months, adding that his firm would be working with the Niger Delta Power Holding Companyas itslocal counterpart in the country.

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