As part of its Vision to light up Africa one community at a time, and in
its bid to resolve the power puzzle in Africa starting with Nigeria , a
foremost energy group with headquarters in London, Genesis Energy
Corporation and a Norwegian Group, SHP Malthe Winje, have provided a
pioneering platform for multiple deployment on fast track basis of Modular
Mini Hydro Power solutions that could efficiently and effectively service
Nigeria and the entire African continent energy needs within a reasonable
short period of time.
Speaking in London during the launch of the modular mini Hydro power
solution for Africa, the Chief Executive Officer of Genesis Energy
Corporation, Akinwole Omoboriowo II said the modular units of this hydro
power engines can be deployed on fast-track basis within just six months
without the prohibitive operating costs of diesel oil or natural gas
Omoboriowo explained that the modular units can be connected to small mini
grid at 415V levels for direct consumption by targeted communities and or
connected to the distribution network within the area of the modular hydro
unit installation, adding that the units also have advantages of increased
generated Kilo Watt per hour and in addition have zero negative
environmental impact, given the Pass-through water from streams or rivers
used to feed the modular hydro units.
“In line with the vision of Genesis to light up Africa one community at a
time, we have embarked on innovative means of generating Power using
alternative and renewable sources of Fuel with particular interest in Mini
Hydro and Off-grid Solar Power Solutions. SHP Malthe Winje(SHP) are
technology market leaders in the manufacturing and supply of prefabricated
and standardised Mini Hydro Plants, and the group being one of global
technical specialist in this field has brought on board significant
positive upside in collaborating with Genesis to light up Africa one
community at a time, and starting from Nigeria. This strategic initiative
to provide fast track sustainable mini hydro solutions to African
countries will engender realistic optimism that stronger more enlightened
renewable policies will emerge in and throughout Africa”.
Mr Marc Eeckhout, Executive Director of Genesis who led the Genesis team
to the signing ceremony of the Strategic Partnership contract at the SHP
headquarters in Norway said that the mini hydro plants can be set up in
virtually all parts of Nigeria where qualifying streams and or rivers
exist, stressing that their sustainability for stand-alone utilisation in
several States, local governments and in the rural parts of Nigeria where
most Nigerian resides can be justified while noting that many viable mini
hydro scale plants are actually ‘’run-off-river’’ schemes based on water
wheels that require significantly small amount of civil works.
According to him, several rivers, water falls, qualifying streams in
Nigeria such as Kaduna, Niger, Benue, Cross Rivers and their tributaries
provide an enviable potential for the exploitation of hydro energy. This
is a visible alternative to the conventional buying of transformers and
waiting for power from the national grid.
Currently SHP are approaching the Norwegian Export Credit Agency for a
financing Solution for the deployment of this Mini Hydro Power to Nigeria
and Africa. Norwegian Credit provides for 85% of the total project costs
and the Norwegian Export Credit Agency being the largest in the World with
tenure of 20 years and with a very low interest rate.
It is believed that this Norwegian Funding would ensure a low competitive
tariff due to the long period of amortization of the fund and this would
ensure the Government counterpart funding of 15% by Federal or State
agencies is easily affordable.
Omoboriowo said that investment in the Mini Hydro Solution would ensure
job creation where the locals would be trained to maintain the plant,
service and operate the mini grids where it’s utilised, and sell cards for
prepaid metering vouchers to users stressing that it would also ensure
increase in agricultural production in areas it is deployed. Therefore the
low tariff coming from the low cost of power solution in which farmers can
now process more of their produce and more Agro Allied processing
industries would be set up, thereby shifting the current subsistence
farming style predominant in most part of the country.
Genesis in this direction is one of the outstanding indigenous companies
continuing to make Nigeria proudý with the quality and internationalist
capability of a Nigerian Organisation that operates throughout Africa.
With Africa already rising from its hitherto sleepy past to stimulate and
give its people prosperity, Genesis continues to play its part in Africa’s
new narrative. The firm is one step closer to its quest to Light up Africa
One Community at a time through rural electrification with the focus on
clean and sustainable power generation.