INTRODUCTION
In this world of ever advancing technology where virtually everything depends on electricity, it is really appalling that my country Nigeria is still so backward, especially in the area of large scale electricity generation- a technology that was made possible centuries ago. I just can't imagine the sufferings of the people; because I know how useful electricity is in this age. Many employers of labour, producers, manufacturers, residents, establishments and many other entities can not go anywhere in the development scale without electric power. In fact, the importance of this form of energy can not be over-emphasized. So how come we lack this basic amenity when we have all the human, material and capital resources needed for generating power?
I used to wonder if our leaders actually know what I know about how easily and assuredly one can generate power these days, but now I have understood that they do know, the problem is that they don't really care about any little effort that can bring succor to the people, and leave a legacy that will endure the test of time. No! They seem to have other motives and ambitions. But we must not wait for the government any longer. The purpose of this article is to show that that WE as a community can grab the reins and direct the ride.
I have stripped off most of the technical details in this document for simplicity, but I shall be ready to provide any further information or assistance that may be necessary.
ABSTRACT
The unit used in measuring power consumption is the kilowatt hour kWhr. 1 kW means 1000 watts of power, 1MW (mega watts) means 1 million watts. If you have a 60 watt bulb and a 50 watt ceiling fan then we can say you are using a total of 110w. In Afikpo, the majority of the people do not even use up to 1kW daily. For those who have a fridge it might be something like 2.5-3.5kW and about 3.5-5kW for those who use an air conditioner. Now let us assume that everyone is using 1kW on the average, and then if you can generate just 1MW of electricity, you would have catered for the needs of 1000 households. Even if that is all we can generate and then share it in rotation from Ngodo to Ukpa to Ndibe and so on; that is really something compared to the hardship we are experiencing currently. But we can generate much more, quite easily, trust me!
In 2015, power generation in Nigeria peaked at about 5,000MW and life was a lot better with that but now it has dropped to less than half of that. Let us compare the impact of such meager capacity in a country of over 160 million people to a community such as Afikpo with a population of over 156,611 (2006 census). By my conservative estimates, 5MW is more than enough to give the entire people of Ehugbo, a taste of the good life. The ideas outlined in this paper can be started on a small scale and expanded with time as it can also be used to generate revenue for further expansion and any required maintenance. In other words, the revenue that accrues from the quota billings can be used to increase the current capacity.
BACKGROUND
The crux of the matter in my proposed plan for an independent power project in Afikpo is to design and install cost effective yet efficient power substation(s) for the people of Afikpo. The plan I am presenting here is not an experiment or foray into some mysterious principle, it is based on proven, immutable Laws of Natural Sciences that are being applied all over the world today.
This project will have a short term return on investment and little or no running costs as we shall be focusing on renewable energy systems. The power thus generated will be distributed to the people based on their chosen quota. By quota we mean that each individual household will pay a token based on the amount of electric power it consumes. Proper metering and regulation will ensure this.
Studies have shown that Afikpo is strategically located and is blessed with many natural resources which have been begging to be utilized. Covering a total land mass of about 164 sq Km located on a hilly areas, despite occupying a region of low altitude which rises 350ft above sea level. Afikpo also has an extensive shoreline along the Oziza, Ndibe beach and as such can be characterized as a coastal community. It is a transitional area between open grassland and tropical forest with average rainfall of 198cm/annum.
What all these mean is that there are three major sources of renewable energy in Afikpo which can be used to generate power without depletion. A generator produces power when the shaft is turned by a force. These forces can be obtained from energy sources like wind, water (hydro) and sun (solar). In this current plan, I have decided to focus on the first two because of the following reasons:
a) Solar installations require larger areas of land per kW of power.
b) The initial cost is highest
c) The sun does not shine at night hence batteries will be needed which increase the overall cost.
d) The efficiency is lowest.
Wind Power
Moving wind is used in many countries all over the world to generate electricity and the good thing about it is that once you have identified the right spot to mount your wind generator, you will be sure to have the rated power 24/7 with little or no maintenance required and no need to buy fuel.
Winds with speeds of up to 25m/s have been recorded along the shores of the Ndibe Beach and even far inland. This is more than the normal 12m/s recommended- enough to generate all the power we need. All we just do is install your wind turbines and the breeze will do the work forever. This is because the wind is highly constant and predictable in such areas as the beach and near all the numerous hills that make up Afikpo.
You must have noticed that the breeze is always blowing strongly when you are at the beach. However, this is not restricted to the beach alone. Being a hilly town, there are so many strategic locations where there is constant strong breeze. Think about Ugwu Oku, Ugwu Odo, Ugwu Ukwu, Ugwu Ogologo even as far into the farmlands to mention but few.
Hydro Power
Moving water is allowed to fall on the blades of the hydro turbine turning the shaft and producing power. With the extensive water body that we have in Ehugbo, it is a wonder why no one has tried to harness the energy in the water to produce electricity. This energy has been used for thousands of years by our ancestors to do powerful work like milling, irrigation, etc. It is used in majority of the power generation stations all over the world and the process is simple and self-sustaining. Hydro energy remains a very reliable and cheap way of generating electricity.
SUMMARY OF PROPOSED PLAN
The two options we are going to explore are wind and hydro. We can just go for hydro and forget about the wind or vice versa or better still, we might have plans of starting with one then integrating the other one later. How we go about it depends on certain factors which include but not limited to the following:
a) Available fund or credit facilities
b) Initial required generation capacity
c) Environmental/ communal/ bureaucratic/ political factors
d) How long we can wait for the project (e.g. the hydro will take longer but will output more MW per square metre.)
Here is a run down of the methods.
WIND:
There are different ways to approach it. We can either have an array of say 0.25-1MW generators that will add up to give a particular capacity in one location for instance, Ndibe beach. This power will then be transmitted to the nearest grid point through cables. Or we can site single units or small clusters at various strategic hilly locations scattered all around Afikpo. The latter is advantageous if we want to eliminate the need for long transmission lines since each substation will feed the nearest communities. It is also easier to manage smaller (0.25-2.5MW) units than a single big one but the bigger the generator, the shorter the expected return on investment period.
ADVANTAGES OF WIND POWER
1) No need to buy fuel as the "fuel" which is air is free.
2) Power generation is 24/7 no outage.
3) It does not waste or take too much land space as the areas beneath can still be used for other purposes e.g. agriculture.
4) It does not cause pollution or harm the environment.
5) Can be sourced and produced locally to specification
HYDRO:
Many people will visualize a big dam whenever hydro power is mentioned. However, a dam may not always be necessary for a power station. A Run of River method can be used. A channel or canal made of a huge pipe etc can be used to direct the flow of the water to where a nearby power plant is situated and water falling at high speed turns the generator shaft producing electricity all year round. Along the shores of the beach, there exist some particular locations which are ideal for the siting of a small hydro power plants. It is quite easy to build a reservoir or Run of River power station in Afikpo. A single 5 - 10 MW turbine will go a long way.
ADVANTAGES OF HYDRO POWER
1) No need to buy fuel as the "fuel" which is water is free and readily available.
2) Power generation is 24/7 no outage.
3) It does not waste or take too much land space.
4) It does not cause pollution or harm the environment.
5) Can be sourced and produced locally to specification.
6) More MW of power can be obtained within a relatively small area.
PROJECTS OVERVIEW
In this section I present some of the vital aspects of the project. These are factors that will be taken into consideration in the overall planning and execution of the projects. Some of these may not be necessary, depending on the capacity or energy form chosen:
a) Site analysis.
b) Site development plan.
c) Desired or available time frame for the completion of the project.
d) Permits: Building, environmental and other regulatory permits may be required.
e) Construction/ Labour
f) Testing/ transmission
g) Operation
h) Maintenance and repair
i) Possible upgrade
EXPECTED EXPENSES WILL DEPEND ON THE FOLLOWING:
1) Number and capacity of turbines (generators)
2) Construction contracts
3) Location of project
4) Site analysis expense
5) Protection, metering and billing
6) Insurance
7) Operations/ maintenance
8) Interconnection/ Transmission
9) Tax/ Incentives
10) Method of sourcing materials
The last point is worth some note. This is what will affect cost the most. If we source for locally available materials and produce our own generators, we would have reduced the cost by about 35-50%.
A team of experts and guides will be required and selected for a fact finding resource analysis to obtain empirical data, and further studies will provide more information about the exact capacity required, with relation to other parameters and indices.
CONCLUSION
With reference to the above, we now know what we need to have our own independent power. I strongly believe that the above ideas, if implemented, will go a long way in solving most of the problems that plague our society today. There will be employment, productivity and general well-being. Because electricity is the hot cake of the day!
But the undeniable question that comes to mind is "how do we fund it?" Even though that is beyond the scope of this write-up, I do not think that funding will be a problem if we have faith in what we are doing. The well to do ones among us can to invest in such fruitful ventures, this coupled with community action will surely help. Moreover, I trust that obtaining loans for such a productive course is in order, since revenue will be generated recursively.
Please fell free to offer any comments or questions. Thank you for your time.
In this world of ever advancing technology where virtually everything depends on electricity, it is really appalling that my country Nigeria is still so backward, especially in the area of large scale electricity generation- a technology that was made possible centuries ago. I just can't imagine the sufferings of the people; because I know how useful electricity is in this age. Many employers of labour, producers, manufacturers, residents, establishments and many other entities can not go anywhere in the development scale without electric power. In fact, the importance of this form of energy can not be over-emphasized. So how come we lack this basic amenity when we have all the human, material and capital resources needed for generating power?
I used to wonder if our leaders actually know what I know about how easily and assuredly one can generate power these days, but now I have understood that they do know, the problem is that they don't really care about any little effort that can bring succor to the people, and leave a legacy that will endure the test of time. No! They seem to have other motives and ambitions. But we must not wait for the government any longer. The purpose of this article is to show that that WE as a community can grab the reins and direct the ride.
I have stripped off most of the technical details in this document for simplicity, but I shall be ready to provide any further information or assistance that may be necessary.
ABSTRACT
The unit used in measuring power consumption is the kilowatt hour kWhr. 1 kW means 1000 watts of power, 1MW (mega watts) means 1 million watts. If you have a 60 watt bulb and a 50 watt ceiling fan then we can say you are using a total of 110w. In Afikpo, the majority of the people do not even use up to 1kW daily. For those who have a fridge it might be something like 2.5-3.5kW and about 3.5-5kW for those who use an air conditioner. Now let us assume that everyone is using 1kW on the average, and then if you can generate just 1MW of electricity, you would have catered for the needs of 1000 households. Even if that is all we can generate and then share it in rotation from Ngodo to Ukpa to Ndibe and so on; that is really something compared to the hardship we are experiencing currently. But we can generate much more, quite easily, trust me!
In 2015, power generation in Nigeria peaked at about 5,000MW and life was a lot better with that but now it has dropped to less than half of that. Let us compare the impact of such meager capacity in a country of over 160 million people to a community such as Afikpo with a population of over 156,611 (2006 census). By my conservative estimates, 5MW is more than enough to give the entire people of Ehugbo, a taste of the good life. The ideas outlined in this paper can be started on a small scale and expanded with time as it can also be used to generate revenue for further expansion and any required maintenance. In other words, the revenue that accrues from the quota billings can be used to increase the current capacity.
BACKGROUND
The crux of the matter in my proposed plan for an independent power project in Afikpo is to design and install cost effective yet efficient power substation(s) for the people of Afikpo. The plan I am presenting here is not an experiment or foray into some mysterious principle, it is based on proven, immutable Laws of Natural Sciences that are being applied all over the world today.
This project will have a short term return on investment and little or no running costs as we shall be focusing on renewable energy systems. The power thus generated will be distributed to the people based on their chosen quota. By quota we mean that each individual household will pay a token based on the amount of electric power it consumes. Proper metering and regulation will ensure this.
Studies have shown that Afikpo is strategically located and is blessed with many natural resources which have been begging to be utilized. Covering a total land mass of about 164 sq Km located on a hilly areas, despite occupying a region of low altitude which rises 350ft above sea level. Afikpo also has an extensive shoreline along the Oziza, Ndibe beach and as such can be characterized as a coastal community. It is a transitional area between open grassland and tropical forest with average rainfall of 198cm/annum.
What all these mean is that there are three major sources of renewable energy in Afikpo which can be used to generate power without depletion. A generator produces power when the shaft is turned by a force. These forces can be obtained from energy sources like wind, water (hydro) and sun (solar). In this current plan, I have decided to focus on the first two because of the following reasons:
a) Solar installations require larger areas of land per kW of power.
b) The initial cost is highest
c) The sun does not shine at night hence batteries will be needed which increase the overall cost.
d) The efficiency is lowest.
Wind Power
Moving wind is used in many countries all over the world to generate electricity and the good thing about it is that once you have identified the right spot to mount your wind generator, you will be sure to have the rated power 24/7 with little or no maintenance required and no need to buy fuel.
Winds with speeds of up to 25m/s have been recorded along the shores of the Ndibe Beach and even far inland. This is more than the normal 12m/s recommended- enough to generate all the power we need. All we just do is install your wind turbines and the breeze will do the work forever. This is because the wind is highly constant and predictable in such areas as the beach and near all the numerous hills that make up Afikpo.
You must have noticed that the breeze is always blowing strongly when you are at the beach. However, this is not restricted to the beach alone. Being a hilly town, there are so many strategic locations where there is constant strong breeze. Think about Ugwu Oku, Ugwu Odo, Ugwu Ukwu, Ugwu Ogologo even as far into the farmlands to mention but few.
Hydro Power
Moving water is allowed to fall on the blades of the hydro turbine turning the shaft and producing power. With the extensive water body that we have in Ehugbo, it is a wonder why no one has tried to harness the energy in the water to produce electricity. This energy has been used for thousands of years by our ancestors to do powerful work like milling, irrigation, etc. It is used in majority of the power generation stations all over the world and the process is simple and self-sustaining. Hydro energy remains a very reliable and cheap way of generating electricity.
SUMMARY OF PROPOSED PLAN
The two options we are going to explore are wind and hydro. We can just go for hydro and forget about the wind or vice versa or better still, we might have plans of starting with one then integrating the other one later. How we go about it depends on certain factors which include but not limited to the following:
a) Available fund or credit facilities
b) Initial required generation capacity
c) Environmental/ communal/ bureaucratic/ political factors
d) How long we can wait for the project (e.g. the hydro will take longer but will output more MW per square metre.)
Here is a run down of the methods.
WIND:
There are different ways to approach it. We can either have an array of say 0.25-1MW generators that will add up to give a particular capacity in one location for instance, Ndibe beach. This power will then be transmitted to the nearest grid point through cables. Or we can site single units or small clusters at various strategic hilly locations scattered all around Afikpo. The latter is advantageous if we want to eliminate the need for long transmission lines since each substation will feed the nearest communities. It is also easier to manage smaller (0.25-2.5MW) units than a single big one but the bigger the generator, the shorter the expected return on investment period.
 |
| Wind power "farm" - photo from Google |
1) No need to buy fuel as the "fuel" which is air is free.
2) Power generation is 24/7 no outage.
3) It does not waste or take too much land space as the areas beneath can still be used for other purposes e.g. agriculture.
4) It does not cause pollution or harm the environment.
5) Can be sourced and produced locally to specification
HYDRO:
Many people will visualize a big dam whenever hydro power is mentioned. However, a dam may not always be necessary for a power station. A Run of River method can be used. A channel or canal made of a huge pipe etc can be used to direct the flow of the water to where a nearby power plant is situated and water falling at high speed turns the generator shaft producing electricity all year round. Along the shores of the beach, there exist some particular locations which are ideal for the siting of a small hydro power plants. It is quite easy to build a reservoir or Run of River power station in Afikpo. A single 5 - 10 MW turbine will go a long way.
 |
| Run of river - photo from Google |
ADVANTAGES OF HYDRO POWER
1) No need to buy fuel as the "fuel" which is water is free and readily available.
2) Power generation is 24/7 no outage.
3) It does not waste or take too much land space.
4) It does not cause pollution or harm the environment.
5) Can be sourced and produced locally to specification.
6) More MW of power can be obtained within a relatively small area.
PROJECTS OVERVIEW
In this section I present some of the vital aspects of the project. These are factors that will be taken into consideration in the overall planning and execution of the projects. Some of these may not be necessary, depending on the capacity or energy form chosen:
a) Site analysis.
b) Site development plan.
c) Desired or available time frame for the completion of the project.
d) Permits: Building, environmental and other regulatory permits may be required.
e) Construction/ Labour
f) Testing/ transmission
g) Operation
h) Maintenance and repair
i) Possible upgrade
EXPECTED EXPENSES WILL DEPEND ON THE FOLLOWING:
1) Number and capacity of turbines (generators)
2) Construction contracts
3) Location of project
4) Site analysis expense
5) Protection, metering and billing
6) Insurance
7) Operations/ maintenance
8) Interconnection/ Transmission
9) Tax/ Incentives
10) Method of sourcing materials
The last point is worth some note. This is what will affect cost the most. If we source for locally available materials and produce our own generators, we would have reduced the cost by about 35-50%.
A team of experts and guides will be required and selected for a fact finding resource analysis to obtain empirical data, and further studies will provide more information about the exact capacity required, with relation to other parameters and indices.
CONCLUSION
With reference to the above, we now know what we need to have our own independent power. I strongly believe that the above ideas, if implemented, will go a long way in solving most of the problems that plague our society today. There will be employment, productivity and general well-being. Because electricity is the hot cake of the day!
But the undeniable question that comes to mind is "how do we fund it?" Even though that is beyond the scope of this write-up, I do not think that funding will be a problem if we have faith in what we are doing. The well to do ones among us can to invest in such fruitful ventures, this coupled with community action will surely help. Moreover, I trust that obtaining loans for such a productive course is in order, since revenue will be generated recursively.
Please fell free to offer any comments or questions. Thank you for your time.
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