Improving the reliability of Nigeria's electricity grid with renewable energy microgrids

Abstract

The power sector over the past few decades has experienced a very insignificant growth which is highly disproportionate with the population growth, thereby leaving a large population of the country's inhabitants without access to electricity. More than 40 percent of the Nigerian population does not have access to electricity, and the ones that are already connected to the grid experience excessive interruption of power supply. The power sector comprises of old and obsolete equipment and technologies which leave the grid with low reliability and efficiency. The transmission system is more radial in nature, causing the grid to have low resilience, and always experiencing collapses. The transmission system is very weak and has a very low wheeling power capability. A solution to the low wheeling power capability of the transmission system and the low efficiency of the generation system is installing distributed generators and energy storage systems close the point of use, thereby deferring the need for transmission system investments to some other times in the future. Nigeria is yet to join the countries utilizing clean and renewable sources for electricity generation. The finite nature of fossil fuels and the negative effects of their excessive combustion on our ecosystem calls for the need to embrace a cleaner and more sustainable source of energy in which wind and solar fit into appropriately. In this report, the effects of connecting renewable energy microgrids to Nigeria's electricity grid was investigated. The grid was modeled in DigSILENT PowerFactory and different operational scenarios were created to improve both the electrification rate and the availability of electricity in a bid to improve user experience and satisfaction. Modular distributed generators and storage systems were created and connected to the appropriate positions on the grid to meet the load demands. Wind and solar radiation data were collected and used in the simulation to show the areas that can use either one or both of the renewable sources. For all the scenarios, the grid operations in conformity with the grid code requirements were observed and recommendations were made where necessary.