nigeria

The second Solar and Off-Grid Renewables West Africa event in Ghana in April heard mixed views on the progress of solar in the region. But with the first projects reaching completion and others moving forward, brighter times seem to be around the corner. Tom Kenning reports

Off-grid solar specialist Nova-Lumos has received a £150,000 grant from the SolarNigera Programme (SNP), an initiative of the UK’s Department for International Development (DfID) implemented by Adam Smith International, to help accelerate its operations in northern Nigeria.

Significant increases of utility tariffs in Nigeria and Ghana are improving the business case for solar by providing money to utilities and bringing competition to the power market, according to energy developers.

A glut of solar-based products failing across Nigeria has been caused by a lack of clarity around ownership and alleged cases of corruption, according to member of the World Energy Council (WEC).

CT Cosmos, a subsidiary of Nigeria’s Communication Towers Ltd, has established plans to build a 70MW solar farm worth US$150 million, according to several local reports.

India-based solar EPC firm Sterling & Wilson (S&W) plans to open four offices in Africa by the end of this year, having opened a new solar division in Lagos, Nigeria.

The UK branch of Swiss PV manufacturer Luxra claims to have lined up a 300MW PV pipeline in Nigeria.

Developer Access Infra Africa and asset management firm Quaint Global Energy Solutions are to co-invest in a 50MW PV project in Nigeria.