Image: CCECC Nigeria/Facebook
The Rural Electrification Agency of Nigeria has awarded a contract for a project billed as the country’s first floating solar panel.
The Nigerian arm of China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) has won the contract to build the 7 MW floating PV project located in the lagoon waters surrounding the University of Lagos.
A social media post published by CCECC Nigeria explained that the project will supply the electricity generated to the academic institution. Further project details, including project costs and timelines, have not been made public.
There are relatively few operational floating PV installations across Africa, despite research indicating significant potential for solar energy deployment in the continent’s inland waters. A 2023 study found that Africa could generate 100 GW of solar energy by installing 1% of its 100,000 square meters of reservoirs. A separate studyalso published in 2023, ranked Nigeria fifteenth globally and second in Africa, in terms of floating solar potential, with the potential to generate up to 93 TWh annually.
The largest floating solar project being developed in Africa is a 600 MW project on Lake Kariba, the world’s largest man-made lake and reservoir by volume, on Zimbabwe’s northern border with Zambia. In December, government officials in Zimbabwe said work would begin at the site this year, starting with an initial phase of 150 MW.
The Africa Solar Industry Association (AFSIA) has identified over 4.8 GW of operational solar capacity in Nigeria to date, with 1.4 GW added by 2025.
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