FG commissions 3.3MW solar mini-grid, 2MWh battery storage at varsity

The Federal Government has commissioned a 3.3MWp solar hybrid mini-grid with 2MWh battery storage at Yakubu Gowon University, formerly the University of Abuja to improve reliable electricity supply to federal tertiary institutions.

The project includes 3MW of AC output capacity, a dedicated grid connection and a Renewable Energy Workshop and Training Centre.

The battery system is designed to support critical loads beyond daylight hours, while the grid connection serves non-critical demand when solar generation is unavailable.

Implemented under Phase 2 of the Energizing Education Programme (EEP), the project is part of an intervention covering seven universities and two teaching hospitals. The government is currently implementing Phase 3 of the programme.

Minister of Power, Chief Joseph Tegbe, said the facility would benefit 58,726 students while 388 solar-powered streetlights would improve campus lighting and security.

He said reliable electricity would support teaching and research, reduce the university’s dependence on diesel generators and ease pressure on its operating budget.

The Minister also called on students and the university community to protect the installation from vandalism and report damage to power infrastructure.

“This sustained investment is a testament to this administration’s constancy of purpose. Continuing a national programme through successive phases, bringing projects to completion, and preparing the next phase reflects the discipline that development requires,” he said.

Managing Director of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Abba Abubakar Aliyu, said the value of the EEP should be measured not only by the amount of electricity generated but also by its impact on laboratories, research, campus safety and institutional finances.

He said the government established the Renewable Asset Management Company (RAMCO) to support the long-term management, maintenance and optimisation of renewable energy assets delivered through its programmes.

Aliyu said the sustainability of the project would depend on effective management after commissioning and called on the university’s governing council to ensure that the infrastructure continues to deliver value.

Beyond the mini-grid, the REA established a Renewable Energy Workshop and Training Centre at the university to develop local technical skills.

The REA MD encouraged the institution to use the facility as a research hub for distributed energy resources and develop academic programmes and technologies around renewable energy.