Renewable Energy: Germany Consul General, Traumann, others, proffer solutions

 The Nigerian population vis-à-vis energy consumption statistics are a clear indication that energy demand will remain a vital component of the nation’s drive towards economic and human capacity growth.

Though Nigeria’s energy landscape is largely conventional, regular breakdown and underperformance of the national grid coupled with regulatory demand and technological advancement in the global energy space are creating opportunities for sustainable, climate-friendly and cost-efficient hybrid power solutions – especially with renewable energy sources in focus.

Speaking at the 18^th edition of the “Renewable Energy Potentials in Nigeria” seminar series tagged Hybridization, the Consul General of the Federal Republic of Germany Lagos, Dr Stefan Traumann noted that the convergence of conventional and renewable energy technologies, either grid-connected or decentralized, assure better system synergies and performances. “Interconnectivity and integration of various power systems with innovative storage technologies can bring about optimal results and transform the entire electricity value-chain if properly harnessed”, said Dr Traumann.

“Given the current state of the national grid, businesses must self-generate to keep afloat their commercial operations. It is important that electricity tariffs within the Nigerian electricity supply industry be cost-reflective. On the other hand, the need for improved efficiency in the industry cannot be overemphasized either,” said Regine Hess, the Deputy Head of Mission of the German Embassy Abujawhile delivering her Welcome Address at the seminar in Abuja.

Olasunkanmi Akindele, Manager of the Energy and Environment Desk of the Delegation of German Industry and Commerce (AHK Nigeria) mentioned that the electricity industry is undergoing transformation at an unprecedented scale globally and that advances in hybrid energy technology are expanding the possibilities of electricity generation, distribution and transmission.Olasunkanmi continued: “because hybrid power solutions integrate multiple generation sources, they bring about cost and system efficiencies, improve balance during downtime, and ensure energy security.

In fact, for the foreseeable future, the power industry needs to embrace methods for designing integrated hybrid network.And with market forces and customer demands driving the push toward flexible distributed technologies, hybridization will in no time emerge as the next big thing in the energy world.

Financed by the Foreign Energy Policy Fund of the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs (AA), the 18th edition of the seminar series on Renewable Energy Potentials in Nigeria tagged “Hybridization” were facilitated by the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany in Lagos, the Energy and Environment Desk of the Delegation of German Industry and Commerce in Nigeria and the German Embassy Abuja.

The two-legged seminars held in Lagos on Wednesday 24^th July 2019, at Four Points by Sheraton Hotel, Victoria Island and in Abuja on Friday 26^th July 2019 at the Dome Hotel.