A clean-energy company, Energy Ventures B.V., has secured the Federal Government’s support to harness flared gas in the Niger Delta to provide electricity to over 80,000 homes and business units in the region.
Speaking during a media briefing in Abuja attended by Herbert Okibe, Chief Executive Officer, Energy Ventures B.V.; Govert Rietema, Chief Financial Officer, and Yvonne Te Wierik-Chioke, Chief Commercial Officer, the team acknowledged the support of the government in ensuring that the project succeeds.
Okibe said the Energy Ventures B.V. entourage met with the Bureau of Public Enterprises and Ministry of Power teams. The project idea, he said, was well received by both agencies, with a promise to support its execution.
He disclosed that the project, which already had a pilot in the Agbada oil field, would provide energy to approximately 80,000 connections, which translates to roughly half a million individuals in the region.
According to him, the scheme would also mitigate over 60 years of pollution caused by gas flaring in the Niger Delta by converting wasted gas into power.
“The project will utilise modularised ‘FlareOut’ units designed by FB Group in the Netherlands. These units will be digitally connected to allow Original Equipment Manufacturers to perform remote diagnostics and root cause analysis on gas engines,” he said.
On smart metering, Okibe said the team would use a smart metering solution designed to prevent tampering and provide transparent usage data via a mobile app.
Despite historical violence in the Niger Delta, he reported high levels of cooperation through extensive customer enumeration and engagement with local chiefs and electricity committees.
Okibe said the company adopted critical measures that include high-quality fencing and armed security supported by Nigerian authorities to secure its equipment in the region.
He acknowledged that the government had created a conducive environment for such projects. For instance, he clarified that the power regulations law made it possible for states to have their own generation and regulation of electricity.
Such guidance provided by the regulators, he said, opened ongoing discussions on providing electricity to people and created opportunities for franchise arrangements with third parties.
Also speaking, Wierik-Chioke noted that access to energy was one of the major factors that enabled economies to thrive, provided better quality of life for the people and reduced the pollution caused by gas flaring over the past 60 years.
She said, “Once you are able to have access to clean, reliable energy, it means that you can build and grow your business. You can plan better by simply having access to electricity. But we also understand that it will take time to fully achieve results.”
According to her, the project aims to provide reliable energy to approximately 80,000 households in the immediate coverage area.
“Successful implementation serves as a pilot to potentially unlock energy from over 100 other flare sites across Nigeria. Beyond direct energy supply, the project seeks to reduce pollution caused by decades of gas flaring in the Niger Delta,” she said.
Continuing, Okibe clarified that while they could not solve Nigeria’s total power deficit, the project would improve the quality of life for local businesses, schools and hospitals.
“Engagement with community leaders, youths and local government chairmen has been overwhelmingly positive so far. Security measures include high-quality fencing and armed security supported by Nigerian authorities to protect assets. We emphasise a ‘win-win’ approach by involving local electricity committees in the operational process.
“We brought both stakeholders up to speed on what we were trying to do. Their teams were listening very attentively to us, and asked some very good questions. They gave some very good suggestions, and also asked us how they could be of support,” he said.
The CEO said the firm thought that bringing the stakeholders along was essential, as there were important roles they could play in the process.
“For example, with the electricity metering system we’re trying to put in place, they could link us to the Presidential Metering Initiative. So, that was positive, and we believe that we will have many more of such conversations.
“Also, the minister was quite helpful in guiding us in areas where he thought we had not done enough coverage. So, for example, engaging with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited or other government regulatory agencies, and that was well received,” he added.
The benefit for Nigeria as a whole, he added, is, of course, that when one takes away the customers in the Niger Delta, whatever is left of the power supply in Nigeria can be better distributed to the rest of the country.
“So there’s going to be benefits for everybody. Directly, we’re looking at 100,000 homes. Indirectly, I think all Nigerians will benefit,” he said.
