| Sustainable Energy Security Successes in Nigeria
By
Imuetiyan Elizabeth Omo-Irabor, No Hunger Initiatives Food and Energy Policies Researcher. |
There is also the potential for hydrogen energy which involves the burning of hydrogen gas for providing electricity or as fuel for movement and machines. Hydrogen is one of the most abundant elements on earth, occurring naturally in water, organic compounds, and hydrocarbons such as coal, natural gas and crude oil. Hydrogen is a clean energy carrier which has the potential to completely replace the use of fossil fuels. It can be produced from fuel sources using various techniques such as electrolysis of water (which is not economical) and cracking of hydrocarbons (which has negative effect on the environment). However, because it does not freely exist in large amounts more research has to be carried out on ways to produce hydrogen which are economic and environmentally friendly before it can be fully applied as a sustainable alternative energy source.
The benefits of implementing sustainable energy sources in agriculture are numerous; they can be employed to supply or supplement many on-farm energies requirements from water pumping to space heating. This will contribute to greater energy security in agriculture through increased diversity of energy sources, more self-supply of energy and reduced environmental impact [1].
However, before the successful implementation of these energy forms, there are some challenges that need to be addressed.
Lack of proper policies to support the development of sustainable energy.
Lack of adequate research and development.
Lack of adequate funding.
Low level of awareness on the viability of sustainable energy.
Low technical knowledge for implementation of sustainable energy sources.
Despite the known challenges that hinder the growth of sustainable energy in Nigeria, a few local and international companies have made remarkable strides in implementing renewable energy sources especially solar energy, they include.
Afrinet: A Nigerian start-up specializing in solar power which serves to end energy poverty by giving solutions that enhance energy access in rural communities and underserved areas. Their two major projects are inverter less solar which provide basic electricity to rural homes, farms and businesses and solar powered cooling and refrigeration for rural healthcare and food security (for preservation of agricultural produce to reduce post-harvest losses and enhance food security) [2].
ABG- CAPS Clean Energy Group: It is a consortium of ABG Energy Ltd and CAPS Clean Energy Ltd which operates in the West African energy market. They focus on providing renewable energy mostly in the form of solar energy to meet the electricity challenges. Currently they have ongoing solar farms projects in Sokoto, Zamfara, Kebbi, Jigawa, Kaduna and Oyo States to produce power which range from 50MW to 100MW [3].
Resource: A leading West African renewable energy service provider. In December 2020, they announced a partnership with Premium Poultry (Nigeria’s largest egg producer situated in Abuja) to produce a 700KW solar photovoltaic plant which will generate one gigawatt hour of clean energy annually [4].
Conclusion
Energy is important to human existence; it is a vital requirement in meeting basic human needs ranging from food production to economic development. To promote food availability and agricultural practices in Nigeria, the energy input in the agricultural sector requires great improvement. Although solar energy is beginning gain recognition, more research into other forms of sustainable energy needs to be done. This not only increases the efficiency of the agricultural processes by reducing energy deficits in various practices, but it also minimizes waste and lessens the rate of environmental degradation due to the use of fossil fuels.
References
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| 1 |
J. R. Fisher, J. A. Finnell and B. D. Lavoie, “Renewable Energy in Agriculture: Back to the Future?,” Choices, 2006. |
| 2 |
Afrinet Power Tech, “afrinetng.com,” Clean Energy Solutions, [Online]. Available: https://afrinetng.com/index.php/energy-efficiency/. [Accessed 17 March 2021]. |
| 3 |
ABG-CAPS Clean Energy Limited, [Online]. Available: http://abgcapsenergy.com/about.php. [Accessed 17 March 2021]. |
| 4 |
Empower New Energy, [Online]. Available: https://www.sun-connect-news.org/de/press/details/news///press-release-rensource-and-premium-poultry-team-up-with-empower-to-deploy-solar-energy-project-to/. [Accessed 17 March 2021]. |
By
Imuetiyan Elizabeth Omo-Irabor, No Hunger Initiatives Food and Energy Policies Researcher.
There is also the potential for hydrogen energy which involves the burning of hydrogen gas for providing electricity or as fuel for movement and machines. Hydrogen is one of the most abundant elements on earth, occurring naturally in water, organic compounds, and hydrocarbons such as coal, natural gas and crude oil. Hydrogen is a clean energy carrier which has the potential to completely replace the use of fossil fuels. It can be produced from fuel sources using various techniques such as electrolysis of water (which is not economical) and cracking of hydrocarbons (which has negative effect on the environment). However, because it does not freely exist in large amounts more research has to be carried out on ways to produce hydrogen which are economic and environmentally friendly before it can be fully applied as a sustainable alternative energy source.
The benefits of implementing sustainable energy sources in agriculture are numerous; they can be employed to supply or supplement many on-farm energies requirements from water pumping to space heating. This will contribute to greater energy security in agriculture through increased diversity of energy sources, more self-supply of energy and reduced environmental impact [1].
However, before the successful implementation of these energy forms, there are some challenges that need to be addressed.
Lack of proper policies to support the development of sustainable energy.
Lack of adequate research and development.
Lack of adequate funding.
Low level of awareness on the viability of sustainable energy.
Low technical knowledge for implementation of sustainable energy sources.
Despite the known challenges that hinder the growth of sustainable energy in Nigeria, a few local and international companies have made remarkable strides in implementing renewable energy sources especially solar energy, they include.
Afrinet: A Nigerian start-up specializing in solar power which serves to end energy poverty by giving solutions that enhance energy access in rural communities and underserved areas. Their two major projects are inverter less solar which provide basic electricity to rural homes, farms and businesses and solar powered cooling and refrigeration for rural healthcare and food security (for preservation of agricultural produce to reduce post-harvest losses and enhance food security) [2].
ABG- CAPS Clean Energy Group: It is a consortium of ABG Energy Ltd and CAPS Clean Energy Ltd which operates in the West African energy market. They focus on providing renewable energy mostly in the form of solar energy to meet the electricity challenges. Currently they have ongoing solar farms projects in Sokoto, Zamfara, Kebbi, Jigawa, Kaduna and Oyo States to produce power which range from 50MW to 100MW [3].
Resource: A leading West African renewable energy service provider. In December 2020, they announced a partnership with Premium Poultry (Nigeria’s largest egg producer situated in Abuja) to produce a 700KW solar photovoltaic plant which will generate one gigawatt hour of clean energy annually [4].
Conclusion
Energy is important to human existence; it is a vital requirement in meeting basic human needs ranging from food production to economic development. To promote food availability and agricultural practices in Nigeria, the energy input in the agricultural sector requires great improvement. Although solar energy is beginning gain recognition, more research into other forms of sustainable energy needs to be done. This not only increases the efficiency of the agricultural processes by reducing energy deficits in various practices, but it also minimizes waste and lessens the rate of environmental degradation due to the use of fossil fuels.
References