By Ojugbele Omotunde
The Rural Electrification Agency (REA) of Nigeria and Husk Power Systems (Husk) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to jointly deploy up to 250MW of decentralized renewable energy (DRE) projects across Nigeria.
This agreement underscores Nigeria’s commitment to expanding clean and sustainable energy access through strategic partnerships.
The collaboration between REA and Husk will focus on several key areas, including rooftop commercial and industrial (C&I) solar installations, productive use of energy (PUE), and the sales and financing of energy-efficient appliances.
Additionally, the partnership will develop power generation and distribution through interconnected and isolated mini-grids (IMGs). Cutting-edge concepts such as Virtual Power Plants (VPPs) and community services, including clean cooking, cold storage for agriculture, e-mobility, and agricultural processing, will also be explored.
These initiatives are set to complement the $750 million Distributed Access through Renewable Energy Scale-up (DARES) project, which is scheduled to launch later in 2024.
Sponsored by the World Bank and managed by REA, the DARES project aims to significantly increase access to renewable energy across Nigeria.
REA and Husk will also collaborate on the sales, distribution, and credit financing of PUE devices and energy-efficient appliances to encourage widespread adoption.
Abba Aliyu, Managing Director of REA, expressed optimism about the collaboration, noting it as a significant step toward establishing a network of Renewable Energy Service Companies in Nigeria.
Manoj Sinha, CEO of Husk Power Systems, emphasized the importance of public-private partnerships for achieving universal electrification in Nigeria.
He praised REA’s vision and commitment to accelerating the deployment of Husk’s AI-enabled energy platform.
This strategic partnership represents a major advancement in Nigeria’s journey towards sustainable energy and universal electrification.
