Power Sector And Other Related News Stories For Thursday February 23rd 2023
How Smart Meters, Kaduna Electric Will Narrow Nigeria’s Metering Gap
Smart Meters Company Limited in collaboration with Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company has launched the Mobile Meter Program (MAP) in Kaduna.
They implored the management of Kaduna Electric to support the company so as to to massively meter customers and bridge the metering gap in Nigeria.
Alhaji Ibrahim Babagana, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the company, at the MAP launch at the Millennium City in Kaduna, said that despite the challenges with the fluctuations of foreign exchange, it will import 4000 meters from China that are expected to arrive in March, 2023.
He said: “Our intent in 2023 is to bring 20,000 meters in 2023 and by the time the 4000 meters come in, we are going to make orders for the remaining 16,000 meters. We hope to sell all the meters through our collaboration with Kaduna Electric.”
“We want to enter into an agreement with our main customers, Kaduna Electric and work out creative means of attracting finance, so that we can deliver these meters to your customers.
https://independent.ng/how-smart-meters-kaduna-electric-will-narrow-nigerias-metering-gap/
FG Lays A’Ibom Transmission Substation Foundation
The Minister of State for Power, Prince Goddy Jedy-Agba, has kicked off the transmission project for improved power supply at Ididep, Ibiono Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State.
ROYAL NEWS reports that the project is a construction of 2 x 30/40MVA, 123/33kv Substation with six feeders, which is projected to be completed in 18 months.
Jeddy-Agba stated that the Federal Ministry of Power and the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) had to embark on the construction of the substation to strengthen the national grid, improve service delivery and increase capacity to supply power to the people of Akwa Ibom, adding that upon completion, the substation would strengthen the national grid by increasing its wheeling capacity to 25,000MW by 2025.
According to the Director Information/Press in a statement issued on behalf of the ministry by Margaret Oyinboade, he further informed the gathering that the project was a campaign promise fulfilled by President Muhammad Buhari, to the people of Akwa Ibom State.
Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr. Emmanuel Udom, represented by the Hon. Commissioner of Power and Petroleum, Dr. James John Etim, thanked the Federal Government for bringing the project to the state and promised to support it.
https://royalnews.com.ng/fg-lays-aibom-transmission-substation-foundation/
Universal Energy Facility Launches Grants Today in Nigeria for Solar Projects
The Universal Energy Facility (UEF) – a results-based financing facility managed by Sustainable Energy for All – has announced that it will provide grants to renewable energy companies which applied to have their projects financed as part of the facility’s Stand-alone Solar for Productive Use programme in Nigeria.
These companies will now begin construction on their proposed solar projects, all of which are designed to connect businesses and services to a clean, affordable and reliable electricity source.
The projects will span most states in Nigeria and be completed within the next 12 months.
A statement issued by Anita Otubu, Senior Director, Universal Energy Facility, said the projects would, together, connect approximately 3,500 businesses, markets, shopping malls, cold-storage facilities, clinics, schools, and other productive uses of energy, which are uses that support economic activity and community infrastructure.
As stand-alone solar energy projects, they will alleviate the need for businesses and services to rely on expensive, polluting fossil fuel generators as their source of power. The UEF estimates that approximately 5,400 tons of CO2 equivalent per year will be saved once all of the proposed projects are implemented.
Energy Milestone as UK Firm Smashes Record for Most Electricity Produced from Tidal Power
A Scotland-based project achieved a “significant milestone” by smashing the record for the most electricity ever produced via tidal power. Edinburgh-based SAE Renewables has claimed that its tidal energy array off the northern coast of Scotland achieved a world first after it generated 50 gigawatt-hours of clean electricity by harnessing the power of the sea.
He said: “During the early hours of this morning … our tidal stream array off the coast of the Pentland Firth became the first tidal stream array in the world to generate 50GWh of electricity.
“Total global generation from all other tidal devices and sites is less than 50% of that amount.”
SAE Renewables’ MeyGen array is made up of four 1.5 megawatt turbines lying in the waters of mainland Scotland, with a total capacity of 6 MW when fully operational, with three turbines currently in operation.
It is one of a host of tidal projects dotted around the UK. Tidal energy is produced by turbines which generate electricity using the power of tidal waves.
The renewable energy source could make a vital contrition to the UK energy mix and help wean the country off expensive fossil fuels, the price which of have soared over the last year due to Russia’s war in Ukraine and supply-side constraints.
Electricity Generated from Wastewater Filtration Process
The purification of various water resources, such as rain, seawater, groundwater, river water, sewage, and wastewater, into potable or usable water is a high-energy process. So, what if electricity could be generated during the water purification process? In the spotlight, a domestic research team has developed a multifunctional membrane that can simultaneously generate electricity while purifying wastewater into drinking water.
The Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST, President Seok Jin Yoon) has announced that Dr. Ji-Soo Jang’s team from the Electronic Materials Research Center and Prof. Tae-Gwang Yoon’s team from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Myongji University (President Byeong-Jin Yoo) have jointly developed an advanced membrane that can simultaneously provide drinking water and generate continuous electricity from various water resources, such as sewage/wastewater, seawater, and groundwater.
The developed “sandwich-like” membrane is composed of a porous membrane that filters water at the bottom and a conductive polymer that generates electricity at the top. The membrane is designed to purify wastewater by controlling the direction of the water flow. Water flowing perpendicularly to the membrane generates direct current by the movement of ions along the horizontal direction.
https://www.miragenews.com/electricity-generated-from-wastewater-953395/
Govt Plans to Receive Rs14.24 Per Unit FCA from Electricity Consumers
The Ministry of Energy has sent guidelines to the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) to receive Rs14.24 per unit in the wake of fuel charges adjustment during this year.
Sources said the charges will be collected from March to October as the government is making efforts to revive the loan programme of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Pakistan and a team of the global lender are currently holding virtual talks for staff-level agreement.
Consumers using 200 units in a month will pay a surcharge of Rs 10.34 per unit while Rs14.24 per unit will be receive from people who consume units up to 300. Similarly, the government will collect Rs9.90 per unit from farmers during the eight months.
The consumers of the Karachi Electric will pay Rs13.87 per unit as fuel adjustment charges during this month. The process to collect the charges will be initiated after getting approval from Nepra.
