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Showing posts with label Electricity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Electricity. Show all posts

Tuesday, August 28, 2018

Companies deliberately procuring renewable electricity - NaijaAgroNet

Since the mid-2000s, companies have begun to deliberately power their operations with renewable based electricity, reports NaijaAgroNet.

Increasingly, NaijaAgroNet gathered that companies in different industries and sectors are committing to ambitious renewable energy targets.

The latest edition of IRENA Quarterly, a publication of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) which is an intergovernmental organisation supporting countries in their transition to a sustainable energy future.

Globally, NaijaAgroNet also gathered that in 2017, companies sourced approximately 465 terrawatt-hours (TWh) of renewables.

Production for self-consumption accounted for most of this (165 TWh), followed by unbundled energy attribute certificates (130 TWh), corporate power purchase agreements, or PPAs (114 TWh), and finally “green procurement” by utilities (34 TWh).

The trend is widespread and dynamic. By volume, renewable electricity was mostly consumed in heavy industries like mining, pulp and paper, chemicals and other materials production (over 160 TWh). This mainly happens through companies generating their own hydropower, but increasingly also through “self-generated” wind and solar power.

Yet the highest shares of renewable electricity consumption are found in the financial (24%) and information technology (12 per cent) sectors. Companies like Bank of America, Google, IKEA, Intel and Microsoft are among the major consumers and self-generators of renewable electricity outside the materials sector.

Companies in at least 75 countries are known to have procured renewable electricity as a deliberate choice. While North America and Europe account for most of those companies, the practice is spreading to other regions.

India and South Africa are among the top ten markets actively sourcing renewable electricity. Other developing markets, like China, Mexico and Ghana, are also experiencing significant growth in active corporate sourcing.

Most governments have not yet considered the potential of corporate sourcing in their energy strategies. Yet they recognise renewables as a way to attract new investment, meet energy needs, achieve compliance with national and international climate targets, and boost job creation.


Out of 2 410 companies analysed by IRENA, over half source renewable electricity, although only 17% indicated having a target in place. More than 200 companies source over half of their energy demand through renewables.

Isaac Oyimah/GEE

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Monday, May 25, 2015

South-West youths set Power, agriculture as agenda for Buhari




NaijaAgroNet                                                                                                   

The Youth Alliance Movement of Nigeria (YAMON) South –West zone, has called on the incoming administration led by General Muhammadu Buhari (retd) to give priority attention to provision of electricity and infrastructural development to boost economic prosperity of the country, NaijaAgroNet reports.

Comrade Akanni Michael, the national president of the group, outlined areas they hope could transform the country if well harnessed in a press briefing held at the weekend in Lagos. He said that the incoming administration must revamp the power and agricultural sectors as well as encourage industrialization.

In his words, NaijaAgroNet gathered,  “Generate, transmit and distribute from current 5,000 – 6,000 MW to, at least, 15,000 MW of electricity by 2020 and increasing to 50,000MW by 2025 with a view to achieving uninterrupted power supply by 2025 whilst simultaneously ensuring development of sustainable, renewable energy.”

“A cue could be taken from the Food Corporation of India, which has played a significant role in transforming the Indian food economy. It operates through a country- wide network of institutions and infrastructures at the zonal, regional and district level. Nigerians should consider only those leaders who pay special attention to the following aspects of agricultural development.”

“This can be achieved by application of modern and indigenous technologies; price assurance for farm produce; special incentives for private sector involvement; local government involvement; construction of feeder roads; development of crop sub-sector.

 He insists that “government will need to modernize the sector and change Nigeria from being a country of selfsubsistence farmers to that of a medium, commercial scale farming nation/producer,  
NaijaAgroNet reports.

Cyriacus Nnaji/ GEE
 
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Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Solar Jooce, BATNF train women solar technicians


Women at the training exercise
          In a bid to reduce unemployment among women in Nigeria, Solar Jooce and British American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation (BATNF) have concluded the first phase of training of the some rural Oyo women on assemblage and repairs of basic solar lanterns and phone charging units.
This follows the recent signing of an agreement to train these rural women in Oyo State and sealed between the Executive Director, BATN Foundation, Mr. Gbenga Ibikunle and the chief executive officer, Solar Jooce, Mr. David Agbakoba.
Speaking on the development, Solar Jooce boss, Mr. Agbakoba noted that of the world's 1.6 billion people living without electricity, 80 per cent live in Sub Saharan Africa.
Solar Jooce, a social enterprise dedicated to improve the quality of life of rural communities in Nigeria that have little or no access to electricity, through its coordinator, Anne Agbakoba, revealed to NaijaAgroNet that the main objective of the agreement in its pilot stage was to train an initial 20 rural ladies to become solar technicians and to help them set up solar micro-business.
This, she said, has kicked-off with the training which covers four local governments in Oyo State, namely Areas in Oyo state - Itesiwaju, Kajola, Oyo West, and Iseyin. The exercise, she said, is meant to empower the ladies to light up their communities and spread the use of solar as an alternative to dangerous and expensive fossil fuelled lighting such as the kerosene lamps.
She also confirmed to NaijaAgroNet that the initiative would be moved to other states across the federation with the collaboration of British American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation, an independent charitable organization incorporated in Nigeria with the vision to improve the quality of life of citizens in rural and urban in Nigeria.
Women at the training exercise 
Equally, she explained that the initiative entails a marketing and financial management training entitled ‘Growing your new solar Micro-business’ was conducted in Yoruba by Mrs. Yemi Owolabi, executive director, Finance of Standard Chartered Bank, Nigeria.
The Solar Jooce women’s empowerment initiative, NaijaAgroNet gathered, is a small step in the daunting task of providing a clean, alternative source of electricity, alleviating poverty, and providing opportunities for rural families in Nigeria.
NaijaAgroNet recalls that the training workshop is also supported by the Hertz Corporation, C & I Leasing (transport & logistics), Sesema PR, and the Bishop of Ajayi Crowther Diocese, Bishop O. O. Oduntan.
The first phases of the initiative was a massive awareness creation about the use and benefits of solar applications through the donation of combined solar lantern and phone charging unit to a community in the 36 states of the country.
Further, the second phase, NaijaAgroNet gathered is a long-term capacity building scheme which to train women in the assembling and troubleshooting solar applications in order for them to be able to start their own small solar trade with its first pilot in June 2012.
Remmy Nweke
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