Renewable Energy: Korea to invest $12.3m for solar mini-grid construction in Nigeria
The South Korean Government has announced that it will invest the sum of $12.4 million for the construction of solar mini-grids in Nigeria.
This was disclosed in a statement by Mr Kim Young-Chae, Ambassador of Korea to Nigeria, on Monday at the “Stand-alone mini-grid project” presentation ceremony, granted by the Korean Government in Abuja.
The renewable energy event was organised by the Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology (KIAT), in collaboration with the Ministry of Trade and Energy, ILJIN Electrical, S/D Powernics and Korea Polytechnic University.
Ambassador Young-Chee said, “The project to be implemented by KIAT was designed to meet rising energy demands of rural communities, by constructing solar power generation systems, in cooperation with the Nigerian government.
“It involves the construction of mini-grids in non-electrified rural communities near Abuja, to ensure a stable supply of power, installation of transmission and distribution lines, supply of electric equipment and systems and training for the operation and maintenance of mini-grids.”
He added that the solar project started as a framework agreement signed by South Korea and Nigeria, and laid the foundation for technological support and related policies, citing the Nigerian Electrification Project (NEP) supported by the World Bank.
Sen. Ita Enang, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Niger Delta, stated that the move was in the right direction, urging that the project should be extended to other parts of the country, especially the Niger Delta region, to promote even development.
“For this demonstration, it is good to be in the Federal Capital Territory, but it will be better to extend it to other areas so that you will get wider buy-in. I will suggest we go to areas like Lagos, Port Harcourt, Akwa Ibom, which have a lot of concentration and Kano,” Enang said.
Project Manager, Mr Kim Dohyoung, mentioned that the project would begin with project-designing in April 2022 and extend till December 2024 and will be delivered in cooperation with the relevant government agencies of Nigeria and local businesses.
