Nigeria’s largest solar power plant becomes operational in Kano State
His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, recently commissioned the Kumbotso solar power plant - Nigeria’s first grid-connected solar power plant, in Kano State. The 10 megawatts (MW) solar photovoltaic facility is a US$15 million investment built on a 24-hectare site in Kumbotso Local Government Area (LGA) in Kano State.
The project was developed and managed by Haske Solar Company; a special purpose vehicle established by the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA). Haske Solar is owned 15% by Kano State Government, 5% by Kumbotso LGA, and 80% by the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN).
Aminu Sagir, the Managing Director of NSIA, stated at the commissioning, that the Kumbotso solar project underpins Nigeria’s commitment to strengthening its economy through decarbonized energy projects and achieving its climate change goal of carbon neutrality by 2060.
The Kumbotso solar project follows the FGN’s announcement in July 2022, that it had commenced the decentralisation of the national grid using renewable energy-driven mini-grids, to address the challenges of power supply across the country. Nigeria currently has an installed renewable energy capacity of around 2,000 MW operated mainly as mini-grids and targeted towards providing electricity to rural populations and remote regions in the country. The Kumbotso solar project becomes the first solar power plant to be connected to the national grid.
It is hoped that this would be the first of many gridconnected power plants driven by renewable energy sources.
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