The United Nations (“UN”) describes renewable energy as energy derived from natural sources that are replenished at a higher rate than they are consumed as against fossil fuels – coal, oil, and gas which are categorised as non-renewable resources that take hundreds of millions of years to form. Sunlight, water, and wind, for example, are renewable energy sources that are constantly being replenished. Nigeria has plenty of sunlight and water. The UN and environmental protection organisations have constantly harped about the dangers of fossil fuels which when burned to produce energy, cause harmful greenhouse gas emissions, such as carbon dioxide. Generating renewable energy creates far lower emissions than burning fossil fuels. Transitioning from fossil fuels, which currently account for the lion’s share of emissions, to renewable energy is key to addressing the climate crisis.
Hydropower harnesses the energy of water moving from higher to lower elevations. It can be generated from reservoirs and rivers. Reservoir hydropower plants rely on stored water in a reservoir, while run-of-river hydropower plants harness energy from the available flow of the river. Hydropower currently is the largest source of renewable energy in the electricity sector, although, according to the Transmission Company of Nigeria (“TCN”) it accounts for only about 20% of the energy generated into the grid in Nigeria. The hydropower power plants in Nigeria are –
- Kainji Dam is located in Borgu LGA of Niger State and it dams the famous River Niger. Kainji powerhouse is equipped with eight turbine-alternator groups including four Kaplan type rated at 80 MW, two turbines also Kaplan type rated at 100 MW, and two propeller turbines rated at 120 MW. The available head ranges between 23.8 m and 41.2 m according to the water level in the reservoir. According to the International Journal of Engineering Management, Volume 6, Issue 1, June 2022, the river floodplain downstream of the Kainji Dam has rich alluvial soils with great agricultural potential and this has been the major pull factor for several local communities that settled in the area and engaged in farming as a means of livelihood. However, these downstream communities in Yauri Emirate are exposed to flooding and other forms of vulnerability related to their livelihood activities and living pattern.
- Jebba Hydro-Power Plant is a hydroelectric power plant between Niger and Kwara States, across the Kaduna River. The total nominal power installed is 578 MW. According to Adamu Usman (2020), ever since the construction of the Jebba Dam, the downstream communities have been subjected to several hardships as a result of flood occurrences and other devastations caused by the dam. Many people lost their houses and other properties worth millions of naira
- Shiroro Hydroelectric Power Station is a 600 MW generation plant is in Niger State. In November 2013, North South Power acquired a 30-year concession for the power station. The Journal of Environment and Earth Science, Vol.9, No.3, 2019, states that the core environmental impacts of the Shiroro Dam include changes in riparian vegetation, changes in river water quality, changes to channel shape, and changes in floodplains among others.
- Dadin Kowa Dam is situated in Yamaltu Deba Local Government Area of Gombe State. Farming activities and sewage sludge discharge in the Dadin Kowa dam posed serious environmental challenges to the communities (World Wide Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Development; 2019).
According to the UN, the infrastructure needed to create hydropower can also impact on ecosystems in adverse ways and for this reason, many consider small-scale hydro a more environmentally-friendly option, and especially suitable for communities in remote locations.
