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AfrElec RENEWABLES AfrElec

Nigerdock to install solar at

Snake Island Integrated Free Zone

NIGERIA NIGERDOCK, a Nigerian engineering, pro- carbon footprint is pivotal to our long-term
curement, and construction (EPC) company, operations and success,” he said, as quoted by
has completed the first phase of its transition to The Guardian.
renewable energy sources through the installa- “Current solar operations enable Nigerdock
tion of solar solutions at the Snake Island Inte- to displace 40 per cent of its daytime energy con-
grated Free Zone. sumption, reduce CO2 output by about 2,000
This initiative is part of the company’s metric tons, and achieve significant emission
broader goal of achieving green port status, in reduction targets.”™
line with Nigeria’s Climate Change Act, the Blue
Economy, and the United Nations’ Sustainable
Development Goals, The Guardian reports.
The project is also part of a wider push by
Nigerdock to develop 20MW of sustainable,
cost-effective, and reliable power within the free
zone.
Nigerdock chief executive Maher Jarmakani
said the renewable energy solution would pro-
vide the company and its clients with consistent
power and greater ease to conduct business.
“As a self-sustaining economic hub, improv-
ing our energy consumption and reducing our

HYDROPOWER

World’s largest man-made dam mulls

using solar panels to generate power

ZAMBIA AUTHORITIES in charge of the world’s largest the evaporation of water bodies.
ZINBABWE man-made lake are considering using floating A prolonged drought has cut output at
solar panels to generate power after plummeting Kariba and resulted in Zambia and Zimba-
water levels deepened power outages in Zambia bwe’s state power utilities being unable to meet
and Zimbabwe, Bloomberg reports. electricity demand. Overuse of the dam com-
Munyaradzi Munodawafa, chief executive pounded the problem at the start of the year,
officer of the Zambezi River Authority, which when reservoir levels fell to less than 1% of
manages the dam, said in an interview with usable storage.
the news agency that adding photovoltaic (PV) While inflows have been picking up since Jan-
capacity to the water surface of the Kariba Dam uary, the station is also susceptible to the effects
would supplement the lake’s more than 2,100 of climate change. Rainfall patterns have become
MW of hydropower capacity. a concern, evidenced by the lack of inflows to the
A similar proposal is being considered for the dam from the Gwayi River in Zimbabwe, Muno-
nearby Batoka Gorge, where another hydro pro- dawafa said.
ject is being developed, he said. “There are lots of “Right now everyone sees a lot of rain, but
areas that can provide that solar,” Munodawafa on the ground the lower catchment that was
said. supposed to give us more water did not,” he told
Interest in floating solar panels has increased Bloomberg. “That’s climate change.”
in recent years, according to the International The Zambian and Zimbabwean utilities have
Energy Agency. The installations avoid compet- yet to make a decision on the use of the floating
ing for land, boost yields because of the cooling solar panels and determine how much such a
effect of water, and have the potential to reduce project would cost, Munodawafa said.™

P12 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 08 22•February•2023