Nigeria is preparing to connect over 4,200 megawatts-peak (MWp) of solar photovoltaic (PV) energy to its national electricity grid by 2030, with plans to use battery energy storage systems (BESS) to stabilise the increasingly fragile network.
This was revealed at the inaugural workshop for the Nigerian Battery Energy Storage System Feasibility Study held yesterday in Abuja. Spearheaded by the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO), in collaboration with the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), the African Development Bank (AfDB), and the global Sustainable Energy for All (SE4All) initiative, the plan seeks to mitigate issues in the nation’s power infrastructure, especially the frequent grid collapses, voltage swings, and growing challenges in integrating renewable energy.
Speaking at the event, Executive Director for System Planning at NISO, Shehu Aliyu, outlined the technical fragility of the country’s transmission system.
Issues such as long radial transmission lines without redundancy, significant system losses due to ageing infrastructure, and limited capacity to absorb intermittent power from renewables have all contributed to a power sector marked by unreliability and frequent blackouts. Aliyu noted that the addition of BESS technology is critical for maintaining grid balance.
“Battery storage will help regulate frequency, support voltage levels, provide peak shaving and firm up the fluctuating supply from solar and wind,” he said.
The country’s solar ambition includes a mix of large-scale and decentralised initiatives. These comprise 14 solar PV projects totalling 1,200MWp; the 1,000MWp Jigawa Solar City; a plan by Northern Nigeria Renewable Energy Company to install 100MW per state, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and other contributions from mini-grid developers and hydro projects.
Combined, they aim to contribute to the national renewable energy target under the Vision 30:30:30 Agenda, which seeks to generate 30,000MW of electricity with 30 per cent from renewables by 2030.
Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, represented by the Director of Renewable and Rural Power Access, Ben Ayangeror, stressed that the BESS would be instrumental in reducing Nigeria’s dependence on fossil-fuel peaking plants, especially diesel generators that dominate off-grid and backup supply.
The African Development Bank is backing the initiative with a $1.2 million grant under its Africa Energy Transition Catalyst Programme. The bank’s Director General for Nigeria, Dr. Abdul Kamara, described BESS as essential to unlocking Africa’s solar potential, pointing to successful examples in South Africa and Kenya.
