Canadian-Nigerian renewable energy company Em-One is upgrading the micro grid in Nigeria’s federal government office complex in Mabushi, Abuja.
As reported by The Cable, the partnering firm will provide a 1.52 MW/2.28 megawatt hour (MWh) solar grid for the complex, using Tesla’s lithium-ion batteries to store energy, and allowing it to be charged by both electricity from the grid and solar energy.
Great to kickstart this week with a per-commissioning tour of our #Mabushi project site with @DamilolaSDG7 and @tundefashola 🌞🔌 This 1.52 MW / 2.28 MWh advanced solar microgrid is building towards a #decentralized #decarbonized and #digitalized future grid of Africa! pic.twitter.com/kgDlRsv1PM
— EM-ONE Energy Solutions (@EmOneEnergy) February 17, 2021
Tesla’s batteries will be able to provide enough electricity to the office to sustain functionality through non-sunny days, night time, and even blackouts from the overall grid itself. The Abuja office complex includes offices for the Ministry of Lands, Housing, and Urban Development, as well as the country’s Agriculture, and Environment and Engineering offices.
The news comes at the same time as major power issues amidst a historic Texas, US snowstorm, in which millions of homes have been left without power for several days. As a result, the state government and power authority’s responses, as well as the state’s grid alone, have been harshly criticized for not being better prepared for such a scenario.
Regardless, the Nigerian government office electrical update will surely set a good precedent for other countries around the world to re-evaluate their electricity needs, and to build necessary infrastructural backup plans before any issues arise.
