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It was nearly a private obsession of former President Mahamadou Issoufou of Niger – the hunt for vitality independence from Nigeria.
He took on the deliberate development of the Kandadji hydroelectric dam. When it wasn’t going quick sufficient, he fired the Russian contractors, talked recreation to persuade buyers and secured loans from multilateral organisations and insisted it was going to be his legacy.
The dam was alleged to be constructed 180km northwest of Niamey, by the Russian state-owned hydroelectric specialist Zarubezhvodstroy, with completion initially scheduled for 2015. The $170m deal was canceled after what Nigerien president Mahamadou Issoufou referred to as “insupportable delays.”
The Russian agency was awarded the contract in 2010—when the nation was ruled by a transitional authorities led by Basic Salou Djibo— and scheduled for completion round 2016. It was repeatedly criticised for its sluggish progress and was beset by numerous delays to the chagrin of President Issoufou.
A brand new deal was reached in 2019 and this time the Chinese language got here on board. The development section of the Kandadji hydroelectric undertaking started in 2019 and the contract was awarded to a Chinese language agency, China Gezhouaba Group Firm (CGGC).
“It’s not solely a query of manufacturing electrical energy, but additionally of regenerating the river’s ecosystem, whereas creating the circumstances for native growth. The work additionally considerations environmental safety with the displacement and resettlement of populations. What’s vital right here is the expansion and growth focus within the implementation of the Kandadji programme,” stated Mahamadou Issoufou.
The Nigerian president met with Zheng Zufei, the director of CGGC, to make sure that the Chinese language firm can ship the undertaking in 2020. The dam will likely be 280m excessive with a size of 8,780m. The reservoir will cowl an space of 282 hectares. Upon completion, the dam was projected to have a capability of 130MW of energy. A lot of the water from the dam will likely be used to run the 4 generators of the facility plant under. The dam can even be used to irrigate fields and strengthen Niamey’s ingesting water provide.
The AfDB is the primary donor to the undertaking and its additionally supported by the World Financial institution, the Islamic Growth Financial institution (IDB), and the French Growth Company (AFD). Along with the Authorities of Niger, these monetary establishments had been set to mobilise a complete of €130 million for the implementation of the undertaking.
Learn additionally: Niger debt makes compensation for electrical energy lower uncertain
After President Issoufou left workplace, the undertaking continued till final week when the Chinese language contractor Gezhouba Group, answerable for the $800 million Kandadji hydroelectric undertaking in Niger, introduced it was suspending development, citing the freezing of a good portion of its funds as a result of prevailing sanctions following the coup.
The group’s assertion included their intention to stop operations and lay off their workforce quickly whereas expressing the opportunity of resuming work as soon as their monetary state of affairs stabilizes. As soon as completed, the dam is projected to boost the nation’s energy grid by 50 p.c.
Following a army coup that deposed the nation’s president Mohammed Bazoum, the Financial Group of West Africa utilized sanctions to the coupist which incorporates disconnecting their energy strains from Nigeria’s electrical energy grid. Provide from Nigeria accounts for 70 p.c of the electrical energy utilized in Niger. Beneath a bilateral settlement, Niger buys electrical energy from Nigeria to enhance its personal meager manufacturing.
Analysts say the motion might have unintended penalties.
“The strategic choice of Nigeria to halt its electrical energy provision seems to be a type of leveraging energy, akin to Russia’s fuel provide cutoff to Europe. “From my perspective, this selection doesn’t align with Nigeria’s enlightened self-interest,” stated Wolemi Esan, Deputy Managing Accomplice of Olaniwun Ajayi, a number one Lagos-based legislation agency.
Esan stated it was deceptive to suppose Nigeria’s energy provide to Niger was altruistic. But it surely’s actually carried out to discourage Niger from constructing a dam upstream on the River Niger. The priority is that if Niger proceeds with its dam undertaking, Nigeria’s downstream circulation could possibly be considerably diminished. This example attracts parallels to the challenges posed by the Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on the Blue Nile.
“The repercussions of slicing off electrical energy provide to Niger are manifold. First, Nigeria has conveyed a robust message to Niger that Niger ought to pursue vitality independency. Regrettably, this stance will expedite Niger’s Kandadji Dam Undertaking, doubtlessly resulting in lowered water circulation downstream into Nigeria.
“Secondly, this choice dangers rendering Nigeria’s substantial funding within the growth of the 33kv energy line to Niger a stranded asset. Thirdly, it is going to deprive the Nigerian economic system of the chance to earn the much-needed international trade, by way of the sale of electrical energy to Niger by Nigerian energy era firms,” he stated.
Life has develop into more durable because the Nigerian provide was disconnected and media experiences within the nation point out the troopers who take over the federal government are coming underneath rising stress to repair the facility state of affairs.
That is going to be a troublesome name. “Niger has vital vitality potential, wealthy and different, that’s weakly exploited,” says stated Salifou Gado, an engineer in a paper revealed by an area suppose tank Vitality Constitution Secretariat Data Centre.
Like Nigeria, Niger is blessed with pure assets however they’re poorly managed and provide little profit to its individuals. Information from official sources point out that confirmed reserves of uranium within the northern area of Agadez are estimated at about 450 000 tonnes. Mineral coal reserves situated in northern Niger are over 90 million tons. Round 70 million tons in Salkadamna, within the Tahoua area. It has an estimated one billion barrels and Pure fuel reserves estimated at about 18.6 billion m3.
However its hydroelectric potential is extra intensive. It’s estimated at roughly 280.5 MW, together with 130 MW in Kandadji, 122.5 MW on the River Niger in Gambou, and 26 MW in Dyondyonga on Mekrou. Photo voltaic vitality is feasible all through the territory the place the common insolation stage is 5 to 7 kW/ m2 / day with a median of 8.5 hours per day. Wind speeds, starting from 2.5 m/s within the south to five m/s within the north, are in favour of wind generators to pump water, the vitality suppose tank stated.
But the nation has been unable to translate these potentials into property for its individuals. The nation has two main electrical energy operators, each public. These embody the Nationwide Electrical energy Firm (NIGELEC) based in 1968 and which has a monopoly on transmission and distribution, and the Coal Firm Anou Araren (SONICHAR), which produces electrical energy in a thermal coal energy plant.
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