PROBLEM DEFINITION FACTS ABOUT EGOC OIL & GAS   Parameters that should be assessed during site inspection for a utility scale Solar PV project in Nigeria BY Engineer Shehu I. Khaleel (SMIEEE, MISES) Principal Energy Consultant At RENDANET

PROPOSED PROJECT INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY: Solar PV PROJECTION TYPE: Fixed system, with mount structure PROJECT SCALE: Utility Scale CAPACITY: N.A.

PROPOSED SITE METEOROLOGICAL DETAIL NORTHERN REGION SOUTHERN REGION AVERAGE TEMP 32 °C  28 °C  AVERAGE RAINFALL 900mm 3200mm AVERAGE SUNSHINE HRS 9-10hrs/day 6hrs/day SOLAR IRRADIATION 6.46KWh/m2/day 3.56KWh/m2/day

SITE SELECTION PARAMETERS CATEGORY The parameters are classified into two categories 1- Analysis Parameters: Those parameters that have direct impact on the plant design, plant performance and plant development cost over a period of time. 2- Restriction Parameters: Those parameters that restrict the existence of the plant over a period of time

1-ANALYSIS PARAMETERS The following parameters are highly essential for a viable solar PV plant site selection assessment in Nigeria. This is due to variation in climate and weather conditions across the North and southern Region. - Radiation sources -Land availability -Local climate -Topographical nature of the site -Geotechnical conditions of the land -Accessibility to high way - Distance from the transmission grid -Water availability

1.1- SOLAR RADIATION SOURCE The solar radiation in Nigeria varies significantly across the regions. And it has great impact on PV plant site selection North has the highest solar radiation of approximately 6.46KWh/m2/day with more sunshine hours and clear sky South eastern region has the lowest solar radiation of approximately 3.5KWh/m2/day, with less sunshine hours and cloudy sky. With the average of 5.25KWh/m2/day

1.2- LAND AVAILABILITY Hundreds of acres of land is needed to accommodate 70MW PV solar plant. Flat land, less mountainous with less vegetation cover is the best fit for this project. Northern Nigeria is blessed with land more suitable for this project due to the availability of virgin land with flat surface compared to the Southern part of the Country.

1.3- LOCAL CLIMATE Weather condition varies across the six geographical zones of Nigeria. Hence necessitate analyzing the local climate of the proposed site. Condition of the following weather elements has direct impact on the plant performance at any particular location. I- Temperature : North region has an average temperature above 33 °C . While the south has less than 30 °C  II- Relative humidity: Southern coastal areas recorded the highest relative humidity compared to the Northern region III- Average Annual rainfall: Southern rainforest region record 9-months of rain fall annually compared to 5-months in North .

1.3- LOCAL CLIMATE Contd IV- Dry Season: North western and North eastern Nigeria experiences dusty and fog condition more than the south during this season. V- Atmospheric pollution: in the coastal areas of the southern part of Nigeria, presence of salt in the atmosphere should be considered and assessed. This would enable the use of PV modules designed to withstand the corrosive atmosphere.

1.4- TOPOGRAPHICAL NATURE Developing a cost effective 70MW PV solar plant require a Flat land free of erosion and other topographical irregularities. Areas of North western Nigeria are more suitable for this kind of projects . Followed by the North central and North east. The project cost would be less in the North when compared to the south, where the topographical nature is characterized with hills, steep slopes and deep valleys. Similarly, Land cost less in the Northern part of Nigeria compared to the southern part where most of the land is occupied by water and oil fields.

1.5- GEOTECHNICAL CONDITION The geotechnical nature and soil qualities of the proposed site is very critical for the plant design and mount infrastructures. The following parameters are assessed. - Ground water level : The swampy nature of land in the southern coastal area of Nigeria is unfavourable compared to the lands in the Northern part of the country. - Soil PH and chemical constituent: The soil in the oil exploring Delta region of the south contains hydrocarbon substance. Lead mining areas in the North west contains lead substances. All should be considered during the site selection - Presence of underground rocks, soil resistivity are all important parameters to consider as they varies across the regions in Nigeria

1.6- ACCESSIBILITY TO HIGHWAY Site closeness to highway is an important aspect of the plant development. It has direct impact on the final plant development cost and Maintenance. Constructing access road to site would be costly in the rainforest region of the south and mountainous region of the North central area of Plateau, Abuja , Nassarawa and Taraba compared to North western area of Kano, Kaduna Jigawa and Sokoto. Hence, Easy accessibility to high ways should be considered an important parameter

1.7- AVAILABILITY OF EXISTING GRID To evacuate the generated power from the plant, a viable transmission line is needed. Transmission grid infrastructures were installed across the major cities in both North and southern part of the country. Also the grid capacity stands at 10,000MW. Most Nigerian transmission and injection power stations capacity is currently limited . This should be considered during site selection.

1.8- WATER AVAILABILITY There is high possibility of module soiling due to dusty weather and fog in the Northern western and North eastern Nigeria. Hence clean low mineral water is needed for module cleaning. The Extreme Northern boarder areas of Sokoto, Katsina and Yobe have less annual rainfall and the water table in those area is very low. These should be taken into consideration during site selection inspection. The southern part of Nigeria is characterized with less dusty weather hence less prone to module soiling. High annual rainfall in the region also help in module cleaning.

2- RESTRICTION PARAMETERS These parameters are important in selecting a site for PV solar plant, their absence could restrict the existence of the plant over a period of time. In Nigeria many areas are prone to community land dispute, communal and ethnic crises, land heritage. There are issues of grazing reserve and other environmental designations and regulations that must be considered during site selection assessment. - Land use policy - Environmental Designations - Local regulations - Social factors

CONCLUSION These parameters are vital in selecting a suitable PV power plant site in Nigeria. They have positive impact on the plant performance if fully considered at early stage and incorporated into the project design.

REFERENCES 1. Irena Renewable Energy Atlas of West Africa 2. NASA meteorological Database 3. NIMET on ground measurement database 4. World Atlas

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