A TERM-PAPER ON RENEWABLE ENERGY STUDIES -Wind Energy Potential in Nigeria

A TERM- PAPER ON
RENEWABLE ENERGY STUDIES
-Wind Energy Potential in Nigeria-

BY


ADEGOKE DANIEL ITUNU


DEPARTMENT OF OIL & GAS ENERGY MANAGEMENT
SOUTH AMERICA UNIVERSITY, DELAWARE, USA


A REPORT SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF OIL AND GAS ENERGY MANAGEMENT, SOUTH AMERICA UNIVERSITY, DELAWARE, USA IN PARTIAL FULLFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF MASTER OF SCIENCE IN OIL & GAS ENERGY MANAGEMENT




APRIL, 2017


INTRODUCTION


Energy has a major impact on every aspect of our socio-economic life. It plays a vital role in the economic, social and political development of our nation. Despite the abundance of energy resources in Nigeria, the country is still in short supply of electrical power. Only about 40% of the nation's over 140 million has access to grid electricity. Even the electricity supply to the consumers that are connected to the grid is erratic. There is therefore the need to harness renewable energy potential (such as wind, solar etc.) for reliable power supply in this country. Also the concern about global warming and continued apprehensions about nuclear power around the world should drive us into strong demand for wind generation.
Wind turbine converts wind energy into electrical energy, which is fed into electricity supply system.
The main advantages of electricity generation from renewable energy sources, such as wind, are the absence of harmful emissions, very clean and almost infinite availability of wind that is converted into electricity.
Wind generation has been described to be one of the mature and cost effective resources among different renewable energy technologies. Wind is a natural phenomenon related to the movement of air masses caused primarily by the differential solar heating of the earth's surface. Wind is a classic example of a stochastic variable; due to this stochastic nature, wind energy cannot be controlled, but can be managed. This is because wind power is available only when the wind speed is above a certain threshold.
This paper therefore describes the wind energy potential in Nigeria and the conditions to be met before the wind generator can be connected to the existing grid and how it can be connected. The effect the new generation source might have on the existing power network will also be discussed.

THE NIGERIAN ENERGY SITUATION
From HOME development based assessment report on the Niger Delta Environment, it was identified that water and oil which are the two rich natural resources in the region are the sources and causes of abject poverty. The same can be said about energy resources such as gas, coal etc. in Nigeria, which is in huge abundance, yet there is energy poverty in the country
Nigeria is Africa's energy giant. It is the continent's most prolific oil-producing country, which, along with Libya, accounts for two-thirds of Africa's crude oil reserves. It ranks second to Algeria in natural gas. Most of Africa's bitumen and lignite reserves are found in Nigeria. In its mix of conventional energy reserves, Nigeria is simply unmatched by any other country on the African continent. It is not surprising therefore that energy export is the mainstay of the Nigerian economy. Also, primary energy resources dominate the nation's industrial raw material endowment.
Nigeria is Africa's energy giant. It is the continent's most prolific oil-producing country, which, along with Libya, accounts for two-thirds of Africa's crude oil reserves. It ranks second to Algeria in natural gas. Most of Africa's bitumen and lignite reserves are found in Nigeria. In its mix of conventional energy reserves, Nigeria is simply unmatched by any other country on the African continent. It is not surprising therefore that energy export is the mainstay of the Nigerian economy. Also, primary energy resources dominate the nation's industrial raw material endowment
The situation in the rural areas of the country is that most end users depend on fuel wood. Fuel wood is used by over 70% of Nigerians living in the rural areas. Nigeria consumes over 50 million tonnes of fuel wood annually, a rate which exceeds the replenishment rate through various afforestation programs. Sourcing fuel wood for domestic and commercial uses is a major cause of desertification in the arid-zone states and erosion in the southern part of the country. The rate of deforestation is about 350,000 ha/year, which is equivalent to 3.6% of the present area of forests and woodlands,
Table 3 Nigeria's energy reserves/capacity as in December 2005


whereas reforestation is only at about 10% of the deforestation rate. The rural areas, which are generally inaccessible due to the absence of good road networks, have little access to conventional energy such as electricity and petroleum products. Petroleum products such as kerosene and gasoline are purchased in the rural areas at prices 150% in excess of their official pump prices. The daily needs of the rural populace for heat energy are therefore met almost entirely from fuel wood. The sale of fuel wood and charcoal is mostly uncontrolled in the unorganized private sector. The sale of kerosene, electricity and cooking gas is essentially influenced and controlled by the Federal Government or its agencies - the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) in the case of kerosene and cooking gas, and the PHCN in the case of electricity. The policy of the Federal Government had been to subsidize the pricing of locally consumed petroleum products, including electricity. In a bid to make the petroleum downstream sector more efficient and in an attempt to stem petroleum product consumption as a policy focus, the government has reduced and removed subsidies on various energy resources in Nigeria. The various policy options have always engendered price increases of the products.
With the restructuring of the power sector and the imminent privatization of the electricity industry, it is obvious that for logistic and economic reasons especially in the privatized power sector, rural areas that are remote from the grid and/or have low consumption or low
power purchase potential will not be attractive to private power investors. Such areas may remain unserved into the distant future. Meanwhile, electricity is required for such basic developmental services as pipe borne water, health care, telecommunications, and quality education. The poverty eradication and Universal Basic Education programs require energy for success. The absence of reliable energy supply has not only left the rural populace socially backward, but has also left their economic potentials untapped. Fortunately, Nigeria is blessed with abundant renewable energy resources such as solar, wind, biomass, and small hydropower potentials. The logical solution is increased penetration of renewables into the energy supply mix.
Table 4 Country statistics of electricity generation and per capita consumption


Table 5 Power supply reliability indices (international best practices)



Energy needs and aspirations
There is relatively little agreed data on household-level demand and energy needs in Nigeria but there is at least consensus that the scale of the issue is substantial. To give an example of the scale of divergence, we need look only at estimates of suppressed demand for grid electricity. Taking an end-point for aspirations of around 1KW demand per person—around what is found in many developed countries—then Nigeria has a theoretical level of demand of around 160,000MW of generation, against the comparatively tiny level under 5000MW presently being generated.
The prospect of matching demand and supply, even before taking into account industrial needs, appears overwhelming and far from the 'stable power supply' promised by political actors for the next few years. The issues of power generation and plans are discussed in an forthcoming paper by Lai Yahaya but Figure 4.1 is intended to illustrate the likelihood of an ongoing major gap between demand and supply of power in Nigeria.
Data for 'off-grid'-generator power consumption (and demand) in Nigeria are notable for their extraordinary

range in estimates. While official figures put demand at 20,000MW, other estimates for a population of over 160 million people put demand much higher. Although it has stronger industrial development South Africa with a population of 50 million people is a useful indicator, with generation capacity of 40,000MW barely meeting demand. Figure 4.1 highlights the ongoing gap if 2007 demand was as low as 40,000MW with just three per cent annual growth in power demand. The gap obviously becomes more dramatic if a starting point of 60,000MW is treated as a more accurate estimate of demand.
Actual suppressed demand is of course much more complicated than a single headline equation. Much of Nigeria's population certainly cannot yet afford the consumer goods that would routinely carry energy consumption to Western levels or beyond. Nor would they readily be able to afford the cost of the overall increase in energy consumption. It is this that has led to estimates of suppressed energy demands of anywhere between 20,000MW and 80,000MW, with all of the analysis relying on disturbingly small amounts of data.
At household level, there are two conclusions that can be drawn from the limited data. First, the shortfall in energy supplies for the vast majority of the population will remain very substantial for the next decade and beyond. Second, the real cost of power will remain that of the business and household generators which have costs of $0.50/kWh and upwards. Power-sector reforms will play a vital role in the economic growth that will come from more grid-electricity generation but there will not be enough power to go around, and many areas will effectively remain locked out or facing substantial rationing.
Within this context of power rationing, and sourcing energy from other options, Nigerian households will continue to priorities a mix of what appears affordable and accessible. In reality, the question of affordability will be determined by factors beyond the control of most consumers— primarily the reliability of power supply to their area.
RENEWABLE ENERGY POTENTIAL IN NIGERIA
Nigeria has high potential to harness energy from renewable sources. The country falls within the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn where the abundance of sunlight is inevitable. This energy whose reservoir is the sun is one of the energy resources whose availability is infinite if it is developed. Furthermore, unlike the conventional energy resources, solar energy development is not as capital intensive. Therefore, it is fundamental to proffer the strategy of diversifying energy resource development outside the conventional energy resource. This means that, the proceeds of the sale of the conventional energy resources which are in high demand should directly be channeled towards the development of other non-conventional, less capital intensive and non-hazardous energy resources in Nigeria. With the abundance supply of solar energy in Nigeria, efforts need to be geared towards research and development of solar electricity conversion by both direct and indirect methods.
Wind energy is a secondary form of solar energy. Experts reported that approximately 2.5% of solar energy captured by the atmosphere is being converted into wind. The development of wind power plants is being undertaken by many countries for the generation of electricity in their quest to exploit renewable energy sources and Nigeria should not be left out. With wind energy available at an annual average speed of 2.0 m/s near the coast to 4.0 m/s at the northern borders, the country possesses enormous potential to develop and utilize energy from the wind for electricity generation. The coastal regions of the south and the northern part of the country are possible suitable sites for wind energy exploitation. There is need to embark on research to determine actual values for wind energy potential.
The potential for bioenergy development is high. Nigeria has all the vegetation regions of West Africa except that of the desert. Agriculture is the dominant economic activity, which contributes 41% of Nigeria's GDP and employs the highest labor in Nigeria. Roughly 75 percent (74 million hectares) of Nigeria's total land (98 million hectares) is arable and about 40 percent of this is cultivated, leaving the remaining 60% of arable land idle. If Nigeria's farmland is cultivable, it would have medium for good productivity if properly managed. Policy, institutional and technological approach is inevitable to harness bioenergy potential in Nigeria.
What are our challenges?
lack of policies
lack of awareness creation
lack of trained personnel in the relevant governmental agencies
lack of policy and institutional framework to encourage investment and deployment of renewable energy technology
lack of energy efficiency agency
lack of financing and other fiscal incentives
lack of indigenous manufacturing capabilities


Renewable Electricity Policy Guidelines (REPG), 2006
Developed by the federal Ministry of Power and Steel in December, 2006, the Renewable Electricity Policy Guidelines (REPG) mandated the Nigerian government on the expansion of electricity generation from renewables to at least 5% of the total electricity generated and a minimum of 5 TWh of electricity generation in the country (REPG, 2006). This policy document presents the Nigerian government's plans, policies, strategies and objectives for the promotion of renewables in the power sector.
Renewable Electricity Action Programme (REAP), 2006
Developed in relation to the REPG by the Federal Ministry of Power and Steel in 2006, the Renewable Electricity Action Programme (REAP) set out a roadmap for the implementation of the REPG. The document presents an overview of the Nigerian electricity sector and relates it to renewable energy development. The documents also reviews government targets and provides strategies for renewable energy development such as; leveling the playing field for renewable electricity producers, multi-sector partnerships, demonstration projects, supply chain initiatives, etc.

Renewable Energy Master Plan (REMP) 2005 and 2012
The Renewable Energy Master Plan (REMP) was developed by the Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN), in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in 2005 and was later reviewed in 2012. The REMP expresses Nigeria's vision and sets out a road map for increasing the role of renewable energy in achieving sustainable development. The REMP stress the need for the integration of renewables in buildings, electricity grids and for off-grid electrical systems. Further, the importance of solar power in the country's energy mix was also highlighted in the policy document. According to the REMP, Nigeria intends to increase the supply of renewable electricity from 13% of total electricity generation in 2015 to 23% in 2025 and 36% by 2030. Renewable electricity would then account for 10% of Nigeria's total energy consumption by 2025. However, the REMP have not been approved by the National Assembly to be passed into law.
National Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Policy (NREEEP), 2014
The National Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Policy (NREEEP) outlines the global thrust of the policies and measures for the promotion of renewable energy and energy efficiency. The FMP developed the NREEEP in 2014 and is awaiting the approval of the Federal Executive Council.

Policy Objectives
The overall objective of this policy is summarized as follows:
To ensure the development of the nation's energy resources, with diversified energy resources option, for the achievement of national energy security and an efficient energy delivery system with an optimal energy resource mix.
To guarantee adequate, reliable, affordable, equitable and sustainable supply of renewable energy at cost-reflective and appropriate costs and in an environmentally friendly manner, to the various sectors of the economy, for national development.
To accelerate the process of acquisition and diffusion of technology, managerial expertise and indigenous participation in the renewable energy and energy efficiency sector industries, for stability and self-reliance.
To guarantee efficient, location-specific and cost-effective consumption pattern of renewable energy resources and improved energy efficiency.
To promote increased investments and development of the renewable energy and energy efficiency sector, with substantial private sector participation.
To ensure a comprehensive, integrated and well informed renewable energy and energy efficiency sector, with plans and programs for effective development.
To foster international co-operation in trade and project development, in the ECOWAS, African Region and the World at large.
To successfully use the nation's abundant energy resources to promote international cooperation.
To bring abundant electricity access to almost half of the Nigerian population that is currently electricity abstinent, including more sustainable provisions for domestic use and cooking.
To develop the nation's renewable energy and energy efficiency resources through the establishment of appropriate financing mechanism that support private investment in the sub-sectors.
To ensure effective coordination and collaboration among all players in renewable energy and energy efficiency activities in Nigeria.

Economic Justification of the Policy
Energy constraints are limiting our economic growth. The application of renewable energy has the potential not only to raise Nigeria's growth rate, but also to deepen its effect on real sectors of the economy. More adequate, reliable and affordable power supply will for instance enhance the modernization of agriculture and in turn support the increasing quality of life. It will create jobs, support productive use and business development as well as improved social service delivery. The right policy will lead to improvements in energy efficiency, and can stretch the reliability and security of energy supply while reducing the adverse environmental impacts on growth, such as air, water and soil pollution that negatively affect consumers. Understanding energy efficiency and conservation as a new energy sources includes that greater efficiency will free up capacities, which in return can be used to expand user connections.
Currently, fuel-wood accounts for over 50% of overall domestic primary energy consumption in the country and is the dominant source of energy in the domestic sector. It is also used in other sectors of the economy, such as cottage industries. Over the years the fuel-wood supply/demand imbalance in some parts of the country has adversely affected the economic well-being of the people. At the national level, increasing fuel-wood consumption contributes to deforestation, with consequences for desertification and soil erosion. This policy is also intended at developing other sources of biomass energy and more efficient conversion of fuel-wood energy, in order to reduce the rapid depletion of wood.
Solar energy resource intensity is generally high in the country. Solar energy is widely used for drying, most especially for agricultural products. But it is normally lumped with the informal sector, which is not adequately captured in the national accounts. Solar as a source of energy is 6 largely non-existent, with the exception of its use in street lighting, in some homes, in some parks, etc. Nevertheless, the capture of solar energy for electricity has great potential for the provision of power for rural development.
Offshore and onshore wind power plants are a great potential contributor to a more sustainable, ecologically sound energy generation landscape. There is a very good potential to harness energy from wind in Nigeria, especially in coastal areas, offshore, and some inland areas. Small wind generators can be used in off-grid electricity generation on farms, in rural areas, and in homes. Such technology is simple and largely affordable and is incentivized by this policy.
A more efficient use of energy has the ability to reduce energy bills both for public and private sector. In particular in energy intensive industries, an increase in efficiency will effectively reduce costs and imply a great potential for improved competitiveness.
Power Supply and Utilization
As a form of energy, electricity enjoys considerable and diverse applications because of its flexibility and ease of transmission and distribution. Availability of electricity remains a major factor in the location of industries and a strong instrument of social development. Its supply is however still inadequate in the country and furthermore hampered by high technical and informal losses in transmission and distribution.
As at December 2012, the actual generation capability has been increased to 5,282MW and peak energy transmitted to Nigerians hovered around 4,100MW.
The annual consumption of electricity has been increasing very rapidly over the last three decades and is projected to continue increasing. It is forecasted that the actual suppressed demand is in excess of 12,500 MW. This suppressed demand is caused largely by inaccessibility to the national grid and inadequate electricity supply. One consequence of this is that various industries and other consumers have installed generators whose total capacity is estimated to be higher than the total installed capacity of the national grid as at 2012.
In recent times, the domestic (household) sector has accounted for over 50% of the grid electricity consumed in the country while the commercial and industrial uses have accounted for approximately 25% each.
In view of the ever-increasing demand for electricity in the country, there is a need to install more power capacity, promote demand side management measures and introduce renewable sources of energy to the energy mix. It is expected that this increase in power supply will be complimented by increasing investment to ensure reduction in transmission and distribution losses.
On-Grid Renewable Electricity Supply
In formulating the Vision 20:2020 aimed at making Nigeria the 20th largest economy of the World, the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) aimed to increase and sustain the growth rate of the country. To sustain such growth, Nigeria's electricity generation would have to increase by significantly more than the projected growth rate. Analysis of energy consumption by similar economies suggests the need for over 40,000MW of electricity by 2030. Therefore, by 2030, Nigeria might need to increase electricity generation over sevenfold. The projected growth rate required to achieve Vision 20:2020 will definitely demand even greater production than 40,000 MW by 2030.
Increasing energy efficiency will help decouple economic growth from electricity consumption growth and slow down annual power plant capacity addition. Such decoupling will also entail the development of large renewable energy projects to be transmitted via the grid. In addition to supporting the construction and completion of existing major hydro power projects, this policy is expected to further stimulate the development of large-scale renewable electricity projects. Hydropower, wind power and solar power will be an immediate priority, with the goal of having three major renewable energy projects namely, a major hydro, a large-scale wind, a large scale PV solar power plant, biomass electricity generating plant and a Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) plant ready for final investment decision within the next 18 to 24 months, with full feasibility studies completed (resettlement, environmental and social impact assessments).
Off-Grid Renewable Electricity Supply
It is estimated that 70% of Nigerians that live in rural areas currently do not have access to the National electricity power grid. These communities are typically found in:
The far North-East and far North-West, up to the border with Niger Republic and Cameroun
The coastal areas of the Niger-Delta.
The highlands of the South-West, up the border with the Republic of Benin.
The mountainous regions of the South-East, up to the border with Cameroun.
This lack of access has had a negative impact on economic growth in Nigeria by placing significant constraints on the productive capacity of micro-entrepreneurs and rural supply chains. The problem of access to electricity in rural areas of Nigeria has continued, despite the fact that small-scale subsistence farming contributed 36.6% to GDP, in 2009. Historically remote location electrification programs have faced the following major obstacles:
Low population densities result in high operating costs.
Consumers are often poor and their electricity consumption low.
Non-continuity in the orderly planning and running of programs.
In spite of these problems, many countries have successfully provided electricity to rural areas. Recent advances in both the technologies for off-grid systems, as well as a robust framework to support implementation strategies have contributed to the success. Therefore, this policy seeks to drive the framework for supply of productive electric power to all remote off-grid communities in Nigeria in a sustainable and commercially viable manner using renewable energy sources.
Off-grid renewable electricity projects are vital to meeting the Federal Government's targets in the electric power sector and expanding access to rural areas, in particular. The "Light-Up Rural Nigeria" Campaign will have to be intensified to achieve greater off-grid electricity supply. It is expected that this policy will enable the development of a framework to leverage on the capabilities of the Nigerian private sector, for technical appraisal, engineering design, project management and delivery of renewable energy projects. Consequently, the framework to be developed and deployed will as well consider the utilization of possible public-private partnership project models for the deployment of renewable energy projects in rural areas.
It is also expected that this policy will drive the creation of market incentives for the deployment of efficient private sector-driven renewable electricity solutions, for remote and off-grid areas. This policy strives to ensure that the renewable electricity power supply for rural areas will be driven by Nigeria private sector, while the Federal Government will provide the framework and the financial guarantee for implementing the framework.
Objectives
Key objectives include:
To ensure the provision of electricity to all remote and off-grid areas of Nigeria as well as increasing the energy mix of grid supplied electricity in line with regional/ECOWAS policy and target.
To stimulate industrialization in the rural and remote areas of Nigeria in order to retard rural- urban migration.
To provide reliable and stable power supply to consumers, especially to industries in remote and off-grid areas and productive use.
To ensure the removal of bottlenecks to the development of off-grid electricity in Nigeria.
To broaden the energy options for generating electricity.
To attract investment capital, both foreign and domestic, for the development of the renewable energy for both on and off-grid projects.
To maximize access by Nigerians to the investment opportunities in the electricity industry, created by the Nigerian power sector reforms.
Strategies
Key strategies include:
Rural Electrification Agency (REA) to carry out feasibility studies on using renewable electricity power generation for remote and off-grid areas.
Commence feasibility studies for a major hydro, a large-scale wind, offshore wind, wave energy, biomass power, Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) plant and other renewable energy sources ready for final investment decision within the next 18 to 24 months.
Commence feasibility studies for small community renewable electricity solutions for off-grid areas, including home based wind and solar, mini, micro and pico hydro, tidal energy and biomass.
Support the establishment of basic engineering infrastructure for the local manufacture of solar energy equipment, devices and materials.
Encourage research and development in the generation and distribution of electricity from renewable energy sources, to be used in mini-grids.
Develop and implement a programme for the participation of the private sector in the remote and off-grid sectors of the electricity Industry.
Intensify the national effort in training, research and development with a view to generating electricity using solar, wind, biomass and other renewable resources in order to conserve our fossil fuels.
Provide appropriate incentives to entrepreneurs to ensure adequate returns on investment in power generation from renewable energy sources.
Provide appropriate financing facilities to support indigenous investments in renewable electricity power generation for remote and off-grid sectors areas.
Encourage off-grid generation and supply of power in remote areas.
Renewable Energy Policy
For each element of renewable energy, the policies, objectives and strategies are outlined in this section as contained in the National Energy Policy (NEP) 2003.

Wind
Wind is a natural phenomenon related to the movement of air masses caused primarily by the differential solar heating of the earth's surface. Seasonal and locational variations in the energy received from the sun affect the strength and direction of the wind. The annual average wind speed at 10m heights varies from about 2 m/s in the coastal areas to about 4 m/s in the far north. At 50m, the range is 2m/s to 8m/s. It is possible to convert wind energy to rotary mechanical energy and electrical energy for a variety of uses.
Wind energy has been utilized for centuries for water pumping as well as for the milling of grains. For meaningful exploitation of wind energy, a necessary prerequisite is the optimisation of the components of wind water pumping and wind electricity generation. In view of the energy available in the wind, there is a need to embark on a wind energy development programme.
Wind energy is the energy contained in the movement of air in form of wind, which can be used to turn the blades of windmills or wind turbines, which in turn could drive electrical generators 16 to produce electricity. Large modern wind turbines operate together in "wind farms" to produce electricity for utilities, while small ones can meet localized and small energy needs. Wind energy has few ecological and social drawbacks. The view shed complaints and bird strike concerns that exist in many developing countries will probably not deterrents to development in Nigeria.
Policies
Key policies to drive the development of wind are as follows:
The nation shall commercially develop its wind energy resource and integrate this with other energy resources into a balanced energy and electricity mix.
The nation shall take necessary measures to ensure that this form of energy is harnessed at sustainable costs to both suppliers and consumers in the rural areas.
The nation shall ensure the development of indigenous small scale wind generating devices and energy storage devices.
Objectives
Key objectives include:
To develop wind energy as an alternative renewable energy resource.
To develop local capability in wind energy technology.
To use wind energy for provision of power to rural areas and remote communities far removed from the national grid.
To apply wind energy technology in areas where it is technically and economically feasible to feed the grid.
Strategies
Key strategies include:
Encouraging research and development in wind energy utilization.
Developing skilled manpower for provision of basic engineering infrastructure for the local production of components and spare parts of wind power systems.
Intensifying work in wind data acquisition and development of wind maps and implement a web-based wind prospecting tool to encourage the implementation of wind projects.
Training of skilled local craftsmen to ensure the operation and maintenance of wind energy systems.
Providing appropriate incentives to producers, developers and consumers of wind power systems.
Developing extension programmes to facilitate the general use of wind energy technology.
Developing and implementing incentives for the development of wind farms and for the adoption of community-based wind systems off the grid.
Developing zoning and regulatory wind energy guidelines to prevent inappropriate public outcry against deploying wind energy installations.

POTENTIAL OF WIND ENERGY IN NIGERIA
Wind energy is one of the fastest growing technologies in energy generation industry nowadays. The erratic and epileptic state of power in this country and the concern about global warming should be a great concern for all and should drive us into strong demand for wind generation. The main advantages of electricity generation from wind are the absence of harmful emissions, very clean and the almost infinite availability of the wind that is converted into electricity. In Nigeria, where the wind power prospect is estimated to be high or moderate has not connected this renewable resources to the grid. It is not just enough to say that the wind turbines should be connected to the grid because there are sufficient wind speeds to drive the wind turbine. Mostly, the stability and reliability studies must be carried out whenever wind power is to be connected to power system to predict severe consequences on the power system to which the wind generators will be connected.



The technologies for harnessing wind energy have, over the years, been tried in the northern parts of the country, mainly for water pumping from open wells in many secondary schools of old Sokoto and Kano States as well as in Katsina, Bauchi and Plateau States.
Other areas of "potential application" of wind energy conversion systems in Nigeria are in Green electricity (which is the type of electricity produced from renewable source that is environmentally friendly and non-polluting) production for the rural community and for integration into the national grid system.
In 1998, a 5-kW wind electricity conversion system for village electrification has been installed at Sayyan Gidan Gada, in Sokoto State.
According to the report of Lahmeyer (International) Consultants, wind energy reserve in Nigeria at 10m (or 40m) height based on data analyzed for ten wind stations cutting across North West, North East, North Central, South East and South West geopolitical zones shows that some sites have wind regime between 1.0 and5.1m/s (1.0 and 6.3m/s) depending on the particular stations, and still confirms that Nigeria falls into the moderate wind regime.
Table I shows data of wind energy resources mapping for ten (10) sites in Nigeria including Sokoto collected from on ground measurement carried out between May 2004 and May 2005 also by Lahmeyer International. It can be seen from the table that the sites are potential wind farm areas. This is because most wind turbines start generating electricity at wind speeds of around 3-4 meters per second (m/s).
The bar chart of Table I is also shown in figure 1
It was reported that offshore areas from Lagos State through Ondo, Delta, Rivers, Bayelsa to AkwaIbom states also have potentials for harvesting strong wind energy throughout the year.
Detailed wind speed measurements and data carried out in Nigeria in some hilly and coastal areas have shown an excellent wind potential for implementation of wind farms in those areas.
Table II below shows the wind energy density estimate at 25m height. It can also be seen from the table that Sokoto and Jos have the annual wind energy from wind turbine (kWh) of 97,035.94 and 94,559.98 respectively. These figures are also in agreement with Ojosu and Salawu survey of wind energy potentials in Nigeria.
A number of authors recommended base on the wind speeds that these potential wind farm areas should be connected to the grid (at Distribution level). The Director General of Energy commission of Nigeria in a Paper presented at International Association for Energy Economics Third quarter 2009 still lamented that these renewable Energy resources most especially wind have not been integrated to the Nigeria grid.






Table II showing Wind Energy Density Estimates at 25m Height.
S/N
STATION
Mean wind speed at 25m Level (m/s)
Monthly mean Wind Energy (kWh)
Annual Wind Energy (kWh)
Annual Wind Energy from a Wind Energy Turbine (kWh)





10m Blade Diameter
25m Blade Diameter
1
Benin City
2.135
2.32
27.86
2187.81
13673.78
2
Calabar
1.702
1.12
13.42
1053.69
6587.53
3
Enugu
3.372
7.83
93.91
7375.75
46097.96
4
Ibadan
2.620
4.15
49.78
3909.79
24436.19
5
Ilorin
2.078
1.23
14.73
1157.06
7230.57
6
Jos
4.430
16.05
192.64
15129.60
94559.98
7
Kaduna
3.605
9.91
188.88
936.81
58355.08
8
Kano
3.516
8.57
102.86
8078.61
50491.28
9
Lagos(Ikeja)
2.671
4.36
52.32
4099.78
25982.52
10
Lokoja
2.235
2.60
31.21
4451.23
15320.17
11
Maiduguri
3.486
8.42
101.01
7933.61
49583.17
12
Minna
1.589
1.05
12.60
989.60
6185.01
13
Makurdi
2.689
4.44
53.27
4183.51
26148.85
14
Nguru
4.259
14.48
173.74
13645.19
85284.42
15
Oshogbo
1.625
1.07
12.81
1006.60
6288.09
16
PortHarcourt
2.640
4.17
49.98
3925.48
24533.88
17
Potiskun
3.636
9.44
113.25
8894.35
55591.46
18
Sokoto
4.476
16.47
197.68
15525.75
97035.94
19
Warri
2.027
2.02
24.20
1900.66
11879.15
20
Yelwa
3.360
7.76
93.13
7314.88
45714.59
21
Yola
1.824
1.45
17.34
1361.88
8511.75
22
Zaria
2.891
5.32
63.88
5017.26
31357.02

Total

134.23
1680.5
120078.9
790548.39


JUSTIFICATION FOR DEPLOYMENT
An analysis of the power generation capacity required to support the NV20:2020 economic vision shows that, Nigeria will need to generate electricity in the range of about 35,000 – 40,000MW by year 2020. To achieve this, there is need to aggressively pursue the harnessing of the nation's wind and other renewable energy resources. Thus, Sambo (2012) [9], gives some of Nigeria's renewable energy resources as 14,750MW of hydro power potentials, 3.5 - 7.0 kWh/m 2 /day of solar radiation (485.1 million MWh/day using 0.1% Nigeria land area), (2-4) m/s at 10m height of wind speed, 72 million hectares of arable land for energy crops and agricultural production. Other conventional energy associated with burning of fossil fuels, thereby addressing global warming concerns.

WIND FOR ELECTRICITY GENERATION
For effective performance and maximum yield of wind power systems, project planning and siting as well as reliable prediction in terms of wind resource is a prerequisite. Electricity is generated from wind through the use of wind turbines also known as wind energy converters (WEC). The main components of a WEC include rotor blade, generator, pitch, wind measurement system, brake, gear box, rotor hub, yaw mechanism, nacelle, transformer and tower.
The wind turbines convert the kinetic energy of wind into mechanical energy and then to electrical through the generator. The generator may be of fixed or variable speed. Due to changing wind speed and direction, the yaw mechanism is used to turn the blades of the wind turbines in line with wind direction to increase its output. The collection of wind turbines for purpose of electricity generation is called a wind farm and its planning involves series of processes.
Upon identification of the proposed site, wind data are collected for a period of at least 12 months on-site to ascertain general wind pattern for the whole year. Then, the data obtained is evaluated and analyzed with different wind turbines to determine the best for the site. The blade diameter, tower height and rated power all depends on wind data characteristics.
Other factors that need to be considered include accessibility and distance of the proposed site to the grid. Wind farm requires a considerable size of land area for its construction. In order to ensure efficiency, higher output and avoid wind theft, a minimum distance of 3D (3 times diameter of blade) between turbines and 5D to 7D in main wind direction is recommended [11]. Wind turbines are manufactured based on specification and are usually not off-shelf. Delivery may take up to a year and thus, setting up a wind farm from the scratch takes a period of at least 2 ½ years. WEC have maximum theoretical efficiency of 60% but only about 45% in practice.
Wind farms can be onshore or offshore. The offshore wind turbines need to have solid foundations and protection from corrosion. Hence, they are more expensive than onshore farms. The upside of offshore farms is the increase in yield. Load factor of onshore wind farms is usually 20-30% while that of offshore wind farms is 30-43% [5]. After about 20 years of operation wind turbines have to be decommissioned. Re-powering with a larger more efficient turbine is an economical choice
Other renewable energy sources
Away from the familiarity of solar PV, other renewable energy sources receive very little thought or attention. Nigeria's strongest source of renewable energy by present size—hydropower—has been the cornerstone of grid-powered generation for decades. In the present context, analysts are able to point to some significant hydropower sources and even some plans, such as the dam for the Mambilla plateau in eastern Nigeria, but the large investments and lead times have been cause for pessimism about their development.
Possibly the most significant change that can be anticipated in the short to medium term with hydropower is an obvious and urgent need to overhaul existing hydro-generation. Turbines in current use are critically aged and producing little more than 50 per cent of their potential.
The least well-understood source of renewable energy in Nigeria definitely seems to be wind power. Until recently Nigeria was thought of by both local and international policymakers as 'not a windy country' but this conclusion is based on a very limited dataset. There has been a relative lack of accessible data to give this support or to contradict it.
In 2005, Lahmeyer International assessed wind speeds in 10 locations in Nigeria, finding average wind speeds of 4–5 metres per second at 30 metres height (implying 5–6m/s at 80 metres height). These are moderate speeds that can certainly justify installations in locations at the upper end of this range, especially those with the most stable conditions. The relative lack of excitement about wind power seems to stem from the fact that these figures do not indicate the massive resources that exist in some 'windier' countries. The potential for wind power in Nigeria is obviously more modest than the massive potential indicated for solar thermal power.
Given the strengthening price-competitiveness of wind power, improving 'niche' applications at modest wind speeds, and the relative ease with which it can be deployed in modular size, wind power deserves better research and pilot deployment in Nigeria. Detailed mapping would provide answers about its potential for rural areas, particularly in combination with other power sources. Mapping available in countries such as the UK shows the level of variation that occurs once highly averaged figures are abandoned in favor of specific local data. While the potential for large-scale generation might be restricted to a few locations, the 'off-grid' potential of wind power in isolated areas, particularly the coastal Niger delta, has simply not been explored.
There is a relatively large wind pilot project being installed in Kano State of 30MW, and a further pilot being developed in Katsina State. These have the potential to provide the first locally accessible evidence of how grid-level wind power operates in local conditions for Nigerian policymakers and the public on the potential role of wind power.
Yet, even more important should be the piloting of smaller schemes for rural areas that are beyond the grid. Often not considered by large-scale mapping exercises, generating combinations could moderate seasonal fluctuations and other constraints. The most successful of these globally is wind power combined with diesel generation for when wind speeds are low. The proliferation of large 'community' diesel generators in the Niger delta provides an obvious place to examine alternatives to the status quo where fuel supply problems often mean that electricity provision from the generators is occasional rather than reliable. It may be for the same communities that solar and wind are a plausible combination, given that their seasonal strengths complement each other's weaknesses.


RECOMMENDATION
Though initial cost of installation of Renewable Energy devices is high but the life cost is competitive with conventional energy sources. Government should ensure that fiscal and non-fiscal incentives are put in place for private investors that are willing to invest. The development of Renewable Energy services should be linked to many other sectors such as agriculture, small scale industrial enterprises or millennium goals. They will have greater likelihood of success if implemented in line with these activities to ensure sufficient demand for the energy services providers and may attract funding.
Experience has shown that most renewable energy technologies (especially those that can be locally manufactured) require subsidies only in the initial stages, and can become financially sustainable in the short to medium term after a certain level of technology dissemination has been attained and subsidy would be gradually withdrawn. Nigeria now has a published energy policy and the policy did emphasize the development Renewable Energy.
However, integrated policy and vigorous implementation strategy is needed to facilitate rapid diffusion of Renewable Energy in the nation's energy mix. The current flow of information on Renewable Energy technologies is inadequate, demonstration projects on various energy forms should be established widely so that the performance and efficiency with which services are delivered be exhibited. This will sensitize the public as well as assist in the creation of markets for Renewable Energy system. The need for capacity building both at institutional and personnel level for acquiring technical, organizational and managerial skills required for increased development of renewable energy should be identified. Activities such as entrepreneurship and managerial skills development training programs and technical courses in Renewable Energy technologies with a view of developing Energy Service Companies for providing services to rural areas need to be introduced. The existing Research and Development centers and technology development institutions should be adequately strengthened to support the shift towards increased renewable energy utilization.
Develop integrated renewable energy planning and investment
The federal government needs to reinforce its existing initiatives by developing both an integrated renewable-energy plan and a systematic major increase in investment in research, market development and regulation of renewable energy.
Provide incentives for renewable energy uptake
Government should also consider incentives, probably through a feed-in tariff, for at least one major pilot of solar thermal power generation in northern Nigeria.
Ensure sufficient and affordable capital financing
Low-interest capital financing for renewable energy needs to be systematically expanded, with increases in available capital matching growth in the industry.
Improve public understanding of renewable energy
Renewable-industry actors and government need to make a significant investment in public education that will improve consumer and policy choices and overcome existing prejudices against the industry.
Cultivate collaboration between renewable energy developers and policymakers
Policymakers and renewable-energy developers need to work closely together to develop best practice options for services in rural areas—particularly for education, health centres and water provision.
Educate on energy use and efficiency
Energy use, particularly energy efficiency and renewable energy, needs to be a core part of the education system as swiftly as feasible, with a view to changing public behaviour and expanding participation in a growing renewable-energy sector.
Wind Energy Recommendations
In addition to the aforementioned suggestions to overcoming the various identified challenges, there are other strategies/suggestions which if implemented could move the nation forward in the drive to utilizing wind for energy development. These include amending the Land Use Act of 1979 to encourage wind farm establishment. This invariably would involve the activities of town planning and rural development authorities so that policies that favor wind farm development would be entrenched in such a way that it will be difficult to alter in future. Investors willing to embark on WET through establishment of wind farms across the country will need enough land to do so, and such land should necessarily be inexpensive. Also, areas marked for wind farms would need to be devoid of wind breaks, so, the nation's planning authorities would need to develop appropriate standards for establishing wind farms. There is also a need to integrate WET into the Independent Power Project of Nigeria. This should be done in such a way that encourages people and industries to own their standalone wind energy applications and enables avenues for linking excess generation with the national grid. Another very important step is integrating WET into the rural development plan. While planning for the development of rural areas in order to encourage rural-urban integration, the concerned authorities must take note of the advantages of wind energy for power generation and how such can be used to power communities not connected to national grid. Thus, it would be very good if wind-for-power could be considered as complementary standalone energy sources for rural development. Other strategies that could also be embraced include leveling the playing field in the energy market between non renewable and renewable energy sources, focusing on the developments of wind farms and technologies, creating sustainable markets for the sale of wind energy within the country and developing a suitable wind map for the nation to serve as information resource for the public and willing wind energy investors.

CONCLUSION
Nigeria just recently privatized her power sector. This implies that over the next decade new power plants can be expected to spring up as highlighted in the privatization documents. This creates a perfect position for Nigeria to invest and build large scale power plants from any or combined renewable sources highlighted above. Though initial cost of installation of RE devices is high, the long-term cost is competitive with conventional energy sources. The government will have to ensure that fiscal and non-fiscal incentives are put in place for private investors that are willing to invest. The government itself must be ready to invest intensely in yearly RE development before she can achieve 100% renewable energy. The development of RE services should be linked to many other sectors such as agriculture, small scale industrial enterprises or the Millennium Development Goals. They will have greater likelihood of success if implemented in line with these activities to ensure sufficient demand for the energy services providers and may attract funding.
Experience has shown that most renewable energy technologies (especially those that can be locally manufactured) require subsidies only in the initial stages, and can become financially sustainable in the short- to medium-term after a certain level of technology dissemination has been attained. Nigeria now has a published energy policy which emphasizes the development RE. However, an integrated policy and vigorous implementation strategy are needed to facilitate rapid diffusion of RE in the nation's energy mix.
As the current flow of information on RE technologies is inadequate, demonstration projects on various energy forms should be established widely so that the performance and efficiency with which services are delivered is exhibited. This will sensitize the public as well as assist in the creation of markets for RE system. The need for capacity building both at institutional and personnel level for acquiring technical, organizational, and managerial skills required for increased development of renewable energy should be identified. Activities such as entrepreneurship and managerial skills development training programs and technical courses in RE technologies with a view of developing energy service companies for providing services to rural areas need to be introduced. The existing research and development centers and technology development institutions should be adequately strengthened to support the shift towards increased renewable energy utilization