A solar power plant will be built by 2019 in Kaduna State, northern Nigeria. The facility will be built by DLO Energy Resources Group, a South African company wholly owned by black women. An agreement launching its construction was recently signed between Kaduna State Governor Nasir Ahmad el-Rufai and Linda Mabhena-Olagunju, the founder of DLO Energy.
The future plant will have a production capacity of 30 MW. “We are very happy to work on this project with our partners and the Kaduna State Government. This is an exceptional opportunity to provide electricity to Kaduna,” said Linda Mabhena-Olagunju. “This transaction is an example of an African solution to African problems and, more importantly, it offers a real opportunity for collaboration between South Africa and Nigeria”. She added.
The energy, which the South African company will produce, will be sold to Kaduna Power Supply Company, the local company responsible for electricity distribution. This new contract is in addition to the South African company’s portfolio, which invests heavily in the African continent. In Nigeria, it is preparing to supply a total of 300 MW in several states.
As part of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer (REIPPP) programme in South Africa, it also owns three solar projects, with a combined capacity of 249 MW. DLO Energy together with its partners: Longyuan Power Group, Mulilo Renewable Energy and Sula Energy, have commissioned a wind farm in De Aar, Northern Cape Province; a two-phase project. The first has a 96.48 MW capacity and the second phase has a capacity of 138.96 MW. The energy is produced by wind turbines, the components of which have been largely supplied by United Power Company and Titan Towers, both Chinese companies.
Jean Marie Takouleu