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The 8.25MW hybrid power plant will provide reliable, clean energy for the 13,000 staff and students of the university.
- This project is part of the first phase of the Energising Education Programme (EEP) component of the National Electrification Project (NEP)
The Rural Electrification Agency (REA) has commissioned an 8.25MW solar hybrid power plant at the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi (FUAM), Benue State. The project was implemented under the first phase of the Energising Education Programme (EEP) Component of the National Electrification Project (NEP) being executed by the REA. The MD of REA, Ahmad Salhijo noted that while the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the project completion, REA’s resilience enabled the agency to keep its mandate.
The EEP will see the deployment of off-grid solar hybrid solutions in 37 federal universities and 7 university teaching hospitals across the country. Under the first phase, deployment of off-grid solar hybrid solutions will be limited to 9 federal universities across the six geopolitical zones. The REA has already commissioned two power plants under the programme – the 2.8MW captive solar hybrid power plant at Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike Ikwo, Ebonyi State and the 7.1MW captive solar hybrid project at Bayero University, Kano State.
The project will also address gender inequality in the energy sector by providing Female STEM Internship Programme to endure gender mainstreaming in the renewable energy sector. The STEM Programme will train 20 female students in each university.
The MD also stated that the agency had secured financing from the World Bank and African Development bank for the implementation of the second and third phases of the EEP. According to him, these phases of the project will see the deployment of off-grid hybrid systems in 15 federal universities and two Teaching Hospitals.