Energy sector solutions provider Wärtsilä has proposed a roadmap for decarbonizing Nigeria while advancing access to electricity. The roadmap is based on an integrated energy matrix, with the adoption of current power technologies and the implementation of strategic planning fueling progress.
On the emissions front, the roadmap stipulates that the country should deploy low-cost energy technologies including wind and solar.
To address expected grid intermittency, these resources should be compensated by flexible power solutions such as energy storage and engine-based power plants.
“All the technologies needed for a net-zero power system in Nigeria are already a reality: renewables, energy storage, balancing power plants and sustainable fuels such as green hydrogen, ammonia and methanol. When these technologies are combined in an adequate fashion, they deliver the lowest cost of electricity,” stated Wale Yusuff, Managing Director of Wärtsilä in Nigeria.
Concurrently, generation and transmission infrastructure should be expanded and modernized to meet rising electricity demand while investment in gas-related infrastructure should increase. Considered a transitionary resource, the roadmap shows that Nigeria’s gas resources provide a cost-effective solution for fueling flexible engine power plants needed to balance renewable energy-reliant grids.
Based on a 2022 report issued by the company, the roadmap shows that decarbonizing the country’s economy is not only feasible but will significantly reduce electricity costs for the population.
