FG plans to use different sources of power to boost supply

The federal government has a new plan to boost power supply in the country. It wants to use different sources of power that can reach consumers directly without depending on the national grid.

The Minister of Power, Mr. Adebayo Adelabu, explained this plan to the power correspondents in Abuja on Wednesday. He said that the government wants to reduce its reliance on the national grid and increase the use of distributed power.

He said that there are many small dams that can produce power from water, ranging from 500 kilowatts to five megawatts. He said that the government wants to use these small hydroelectric plants to power specific locations that are connected to the distribution network without going through the transmission network. He said that this is because the transmission network is still limited and unstable.

The minister also said that the government is interested in solar energy, as many investors have shown interest in it.

However, he said that the investors must find their own customers instead of asking the government to sign a contract with them and connect them to the grid.

“No, that is not possible now. Anyone who wants to invest in solar power must know who will buy the power; our focus is on off-grid power generation.

“We also have proposals for offshore wind power in Nigeria, as we have the advantage of being a coastal country. We can have wind turbines that provide us with very clean power.

“That is our plan while we continue to improve and expand the grid. We don’t want to wait; we want to deliver power to our people,” he said.

The minister also said that he has ordered a probe into why the licenses of the electricity distribution companies, also known as DisCos, were extended by five years.