By Kunle Kalejaye

As Nigeria’s domestic gas market is expected to grow at a projected annual rate of 25 per cent, experts in the oil and gas sector has expressed confidence that clean distributed power generation can transform the country’s electricity sector.

They believe that this can be achieved through a Nationwide Green Economy Initiative that will help to revitalise and position Nigeria’s economy for a”Knowledge-Based Economy” of the 21st century.

One such experts, who spoke at the recent third Nigerian Oil and Gas Technology Exhibition in Lagos, Mr. Ayo Jemiri of CG Management Solution Nigeria, said domestic gas utilisation and clean distributed power generation can transform the country’s power market.

According to him, the country can design, develop and deploy a “Nationwide Self-Generation/Captive Power Incentive Programme” that will integrate efficient and reliable clean distributed generation into the grid or independent distribution networks using “embedded generation” regulation.

For a cleaner environment, Jemiri stressed that only renewable and clean power generation technologies that are energy and green house gas, GHG efficient, and certified for carbon credit should be allowed in the proposed programme, adding that every distribution generation technology deployed under the programme should have design flexibility to either be off-grid or on-grid.

Stating the short term deployment strategy of the programme, Jamiri said it will enhance and improve revenue of the existing electric distribution companies, Discos, by structuring the power purchase agreements, PPA, in such a way that the Discos are the wholesale off-takers, adding that any programme application deployment must significantly reduce GHG emission when compared with power generators.

He further noted that “the country has to deploy net metering to accurately capture end-users power supply source and cost. There must be smart grid compliance (once the grid becomes reliable and efficient), hence help in demand-side and congestion management deployment by Discos.