The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) on Friday, recorded a landmark when it licensed the first renewable power plant owned by Wedotebary Nigeria Limited.  On the same day, it also granted licences to DIL Power Limited and Coronation Power and Gas Limited both to be powered by gas.

Wedotebary, a solar power plant with five megawatts installed capacity would operate from Jos, Plateau State and supply to specific industrial areas; Coronation Power and Gas Limited with 20 megawatts would generate and supply power to Sona Group of Companies, while DIL Power would supply 45 MW of its 135 MW installed capacity to the Obajana Cement Factory and the excess to the grid.

Issuing the licence on Friday, the Administrator, Mallam Imamuddeen Talba, commended Wedotebary for its initiative at tapping into the abundant renewable energy potentials in the country.

He challenged more Nigerians to take the bold step of investing in the renewable energy sources like solar, biomass, wind and bio-fuel to improve the country’s energy mix and to make power more readily available to Nigerians.

The excess capacity being supplied to the national grid by the DIL was also commended by Talba, who urged other captive generators with excess power to consider the option of transmitting to the grid.

He urged Nigerian investors, as well as state governments to take more interest in the electricity industry by investing in power generation as a way out of the shortage in supply of electricity.

Talba assured of the Commission’s readiness to assist investors in the electricity industry. “I wish to commend the initiatives taken by these three companies to embark on these projects which have enable them contribute their own quota to solving the power problem in Nigeria.

“We are mindful of the challenges faced by investors in the sector, hence, our goal of improving private sector participation by removing all critical industry barriers and ensuring effective regulation.”

The Administrator also urged state governments to partner with successor companies in reinforcing and expanding the transmission and distribution facilities within their territories.