Energy challenges in the Nigerian commercial and industrial sector and optimum solutions

For many Nigerian businesses, the top energy worry is not only the price but also the availability and reliability of supply over the long term. Geographically limited fuel supply linkages together with ageing and insufficient generation, transmission and distribution infrastructure, are some of the key technical components of the power sector value chain that contribute to an unstable grid prone to frequent outages/trips, thus rendering the electricity supply from the public utility either unavailable or unreliable.

The consequences?

Production downtime, lost revenue, increased operational costs from back-up solutions like diesel generators resulting in a hit to their competitiveness driving an urgent need for optimum energy solutions that deliver electrical power where and when needed, in the right quantity and of good quality with competitive lifecycle costs.

So, what’s the way forward?

Energy solutions incorporating RICE (reciprocating internal combustion engine) technology fulfil the basic needs outlined above and many companies increasingly prefer developing/installing merchant/captive power plants located close to load clusters or within own premises to secure their investments by exercising control over a critical input: energy. It is the right call, but this strategy only works if electrical power can be delivered in a cost-effective manner on a long-term basis with high levels of availability and reliability.

In this context, energy solutions incorporating Wärtsilä's RICE technology have unmatched credentials and track record globally and in Africa and represent a popular solution for Nigeria in general and the C & I sector in particular.

The power generation equipment itself is robust enough for electrical load profiles ranging from baseload, cyclical, intermittent and jerk/kick loads with minor impact on maintenance costs, which allows customers to set up power plants tailored to their specific applications.

Multi-fuel capability using Dual Fuel Engine Generating Sets (DF EG Sets) incorporating seamless, online changeover between fuels such as Natural Gas, Light Fuel Oil or Heavy Fuel Oil allows customers to proceed with the main decision to secure their power needs comfortable in the knowledge that they have multiple options on the choice of fuel.

The standardized and globally proven Wärtsilä Modular Power Plant concept not only ensures consistent quality and timely completion with excellent performance over the life cycle but also results in low investment costs due to the predictable offtake volumes assured to sub-suppliers through long term agreements.

Furthermore, the unique modular approach forming the basis of design is ideally suited to allow a stepwise extension of the power generation facilities in an optimum and well thought out manner. By configuring the power plant with several EG Sets, the set up also ensures that even if one or more of the EG Sets trips, the balance EG Sets continue supplying the load with minimal or no disturbances.

All Wärtsilä installations are fully backed up by lifecycle support through a wide range of Services offerings that can be customised to their specific needs. Value added services such as Operations and Management Agreements offer customers the benefits of guarantees on electrical power output, heat rates, lube oil and spare parts consumption as well as availability.

In short, flexible operations with multi-fuel capability backed up by lifecycle support provides companies the energy resilience that is crucial to ensuring uninterrupted operations and gaining a competitive edge in the market.

But there is more….

Any chosen power solution should be able to operate dynamically with renewable power sources, especially solar and wind, which are driving the current energy transition, by ramping up or down in a matter of seconds to complement and stabilise the intermittent solar and wind production. No technology does this better than engine power plants.

In summary,

An energy solution incorporating Wärtsilä's RICE technology is robust and versatile enough to overcome the challenges of today as well as in the future by enabling the integration of renewable energy sources into a sustainable energy ecosystem.

This is very relevant in the context of an unstable Nigerian Grid and as the need for flexibility becomes a default requirement globally as power systems evolve to accommodate the intermittency of renewables into their energy management philosophy. As such Wärtsilä's flexible engine power plants with multi fuel capability are best suited to Nigeria's current and future power needs.

Written by

Narasimha K.S.