The European Union (EU) has started exploring the potential for establishing a hydropower generation site at Asso falls in Plateau state.
Head of Green and Digital Economy at the EU Delegation in Nigeria and ECOWAS, Inga Stefanowicz announced this in a statement on Monday.
The hydropower project, is expected to generate 2MW of electricity.
Stefanowicz said the project is part of the EU’s mandate and partnership with the state to provide clean, safe, affordable, and renewable energy sources to the people of the state, especially towards supporting sustainable agricultural practices, industry, tourism, and boosting the economy of the state.
The EU delegation paid a visit to the state to assess the Asso falls, which is in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Power to integrate the project into Nigeria’s larger electricity market development.
“With electricity generation, we will have agriculture, industry, and tourism. That’s a very good combination,” Stefanowicz said, highlighting how these sectors could drive growth together.
She further disclosed that the EU is working with the Plateau state government and other stakeholders to evaluate the technical, financial, and environmental feasibility of the hydropower project.
“Plateau State, with its rich agricultural potential, could benefit greatly from reliable energy, boosting crop production and agro-processing,” she said.
The Managing Director of the Plateau State Energy Corporation, Ponzing Gamde, stated that the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) is conducting a feasibility study to determine the potential capacity of the hydropower project.
“UNIDO is currently conducting a feasibility study here. They have done their preliminary data collection and will now come up with a design to know the potential capacity that can be generated from here,” he said.
Highlighting the benefits of the project, Gamde said, “With this power, there will also be an improvement of cultural activities. The power will ensure activities don’t stop at certain points.”
A member of the Plateau State House of Assembly, Hon. Engr. Owen Karyit Dagogot, expressed full support for the project, saying, “This place is going to be utilised to its full potential. It is an advantage because you already have a solid ground. Foundations are openly on firm ground.”
Director of Technical Services at the Plateau State Energy Corporation, Sam Gyang Yakubu, spoke about the technical aspects of the project. He noted that while the dam construction typically takes time, the timeline for this project could be as short as two to three years. “Evacuation is not going to be a challenge here, based on the way we have set up the whole layout,” he said.
A representative of the Federal Ministry of Power, Dina Temitope, highlighted the national significance of the project. “For us at the ministry, we’ve had this vision 30:30, which is generating 30 gigawatts of electricity by 2030, with 30 percent of our energy needs coming from renewable sources,” he said.
Programme Manager, Energy and Circular Economy, EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Godfrey Ogbemudia, reaffirmed the EU’s commitment to sustainability, saying, “We want to be sure that EU taxpayers’ money is fully utilised. It’s not a donation. You could transport all the power from here to any other agricultural hub where pre-processing is happening.”
Harping on the import of continued collaboration, Head of GIZ’s Sustainability Energy Access component, Eckhard Heine, said, “We are in dialogue with the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), to disseminate the information they have, so we can engage the state level effectively.”
Technical Adviser at GIZ, Alexander Akolo, noted that the Governor of Plateau state, Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang, recently passed the State Electricity Law, which contains areas for improvement. “We can support reviewing it (the Law) because of the support in developing other instruments like mini-grid policy for the state.”
