The Federal Government, through its Rural Electrification Agency, has inaugurated two solar hybrid mini-grids in the villages of Akipelai and Oloibiri, Bayelsa State.
It put the total capacity of the grids at 134.64 kilowatts for both communities, adding that the two projects were executed under the Nigeria Electrification Project.
“These two systems include 134.64kW of solar PV, 180kWh of lithium battery storage and two units of 100kva diesel generator sets,” the REA said in a statement.
It said the solar hybrid mini-grids would provide clean, safe and reliable electricity to hundreds of people and spur economic growth in Akipelai and Oloibiri.
The NEP is a Federal Government programme that seeks to provide energy access to households and enterprises in off-grid communities across Nigeria through renewable power sources.
The solar hybrid plants had been inaugurated under the Performance-Based Grant component of the NEP.
Renewvia Energy Corporation, a recipient of grant from the REA through the World Bank funded NEP, had successfully developed two solar hybrid mini-grids in Bayelsa State.
“The 67.32kW solar hybrid mini-grids in Akipelai and Oloibiri were estimated to connect 364 households, and in the course of developing the infrastructure, created 170 jobs in the construction phase and seven permanent jobs,” the agency stated.
It said these mini-grids utilise lithium-ion battery storage to provide reliable power throughout non daylight hours and were designed to scale as individual household and communal power demand increases
