Katsina windmill power project

Even the promise made by President Goodluck Jonathan during his visit to the site in March this year that it would be completed in three months hence has not been met.  The likelihood that it would be commissioned by the end of 2014 is thus a receding possibility.Against the backdrop of the depressed condition of […]

Even the promise made by President Goodluck Jonathan during his visit to the site in March this year that it would be completed in three months hence has not been met.  The likelihood that it would be commissioned by the end of 2014 is thus a receding possibility.
Against the backdrop of the depressed condition of Nigeria’s power sector, this is an unfortunate development.
 For a project that was 90 percent completed by October 2012, and enjoyed copious assurances of both the president and officials of the power ministry with respect to its eventual commissioning, its present inactive state is a sad commentary not only on its fortunes but also a lamentable indication of government’s failure to match words with action with regard to the power supply situation in the country.
The Katsina project, if completed, would be a positive step because it was envisaged to supply power to the state capital and its environs. When it was started by the state government of late Umaru Yar Adua’s first tenure as governor, the Federal Ministry of Power developed a road map for the promotion of wind turbine power throughout the country, in which selected towns were designated to benefit from the scheme. Katsina being one of such towns, the state government spearheaded its development there.  Later it was taken over by the Federal Government as a vital part of its renewable energy power project when Yar Adua took office as president in 2007.
The project comprises a complement of 37 units of 275kw wind turbine generators, mounted at a height of 55 metres and was awarded at a contract price of N4.4billion to the French firm of Messrs Vergnet SA, with a completion period of 24 months. Work on the project was delayed at a stage following the abduction, and later release, of a French engineer who worked on it.  Since then however, officials have assured that the security challenges that led to his abduction have been addressed thereby making the completion of the project realisable.  
The imperative of completing the Katsina project is driven by several factors.  Beyond the need to integrate it into the national grid lays its promise of inspiring further investment of both private and public resources in the renewable energy sub-sector. As the first major wind powered turbine farm in the country, its success or failure would be a reference point for subsequent initiatives in that respect.
Wind powered turbines have become regular features in several countries where they serve as mainstay facilities in environments such as farms, observatories, security installations, water supply and power dependent projects located in remote areas. They therefore offer significant promise for clean and affordable rural electrification in Nigeria, where the traditional dependence on fossil fuel powered plants has been problematic. With wind power, the typical constraints facing fossil fuel powered facilities and related environmental challenges would be bypassed.
Nigeria has an installed capacity of 5,900mw of power supply, but generates between 3,200mw – 4,000 mw of power, with losses attributed to systemic maladies, like gas shortages or drops in hydro levels. Meanwhile, only an estimated 10 percent of rural households and 40 percent of urban locations have access to public electric power supply, according to official estimates. Even with the problematic supply, the country still contends with energy losses of between 30 percent and 35 percent from generation to billing, with the rate of revenue collection put at 36 percent on average.
In this context, the need for the speedy development of additional power plants, especially under the renewable category is urgent. That is why the Katsina project serves as a test case for the government. Its completion and speedy commissioning, and the expansion to other locations, would revalidate the government’s commitment to stable power supply in Nigeria in the near future.