Africa’s largest solar hybrid project
Nigeria, Abuja: With over half of Nigeria’s population under the age of eighteen, the future of the nation lies with its youth.
Image source: ESI Africa
Nigeria, Abuja: With over half of Nigeria’s population under the age of eighteen, the future of the nation lies with its youth.
Empowering this majority demographic is at the centre of the Rural Electrification Agency’s (REA) mandate, which brought to life the Energising Education Programme (EEP). The project aims to light up 37 universities and seven teaching hospitals when completed. To date, a third of the planned 89.6 MW generating capacity has been installed, bringing power to over 159,000 staff and students.
With a burgeoning aspirational and educated young population, electricity shortages continue to be a huge hindrance on students and young entrepreneurs.
Damilola Ogunbiyi, MD and CEO of REA, commented: “The benefits of the Energising Education Programme are immeasurable, as improving the quality of education and ensuring safe and conducive learning environments, through access to reliable power, training centres and streetlights, would result in the churning out of excellent graduates, thus the multiply effects on all facets of society.”
Spanning four cities, nine universities and one teaching hospital, the EEP is Africa’s largest off-grid solar hybrid energy project. The 7.1 MW capacity is fed by 10,680 solar panels and Systems Sunlight has been a key partner in realising the early ambitions of the EEP.
The company’s senior area sales manager, Dimitri Panagiotou, said: “Their [the off-grid hybrid project’s] innovative design ensures long power cycles, reduced maintenance efforts and cost, as well as high safety standards. To achieve all this, Sunlight provided extensive technical information to navigate a complex installation process.”
Source: ESI Africa