Oil & Energy
National Confab Goes Tough On Gas Flaring
The National Conference
concluded its consideration of the report of the Committee on Energy with a resolution by the conference that the powers of the minister to grant exemption to gas flaring should be abolished under Nigerian laws.
It was also resolved that all new non-associated gas produced in Nigeria be reserved for the domestic market until such a time that domestic quota is satisfied; and that a pricing regime for gas should be developed to make this possible.
Conference adopted the recommendation of a total ban on the flaring of associated gas and that any oil field that does not have infrastructure to capture associated gas should be shut down by the end of 2014.
Delegates agreed that communities in the Niger Delta region be paid adequate compensation for gas flaring that has affected their lives and environment.
It was equally resolved that proceeds from pollution tax to be collected from oil companies be used to clean up communities that are impacted by oil spill.
Conference demanded immediate initiation of efforts to clean-up oil spill and restore degraded environments in the Niger Delta in line with the recommendations of the United National Environment Programme.
In order to make fuel supply available to people in the riverine areas, Conference resolved that government should investigate why the floating petrol stations built in the past have not worked, and take steps to resuscitate them.
It was also resolved that government finds immediate means of improving gas supply and transmission to ramp up power delivery to the system as a solution to current cash shortfall in the sector.
In addition, Conference said government should implement the National Gas Plan which main objective is to transmit gas to all the states of the federation for industrial and domestic use and to the Independent Power Projects.
Delegates however voted against a declaration of a state of emergency in the power sector in line with the promise made in 2008 by the late President Umaru Yar’Adua during a visit to France.
It was however resolved that government should release take-off grant to the Hydro Electric Power Area Development Commission so that communities in river banks would have access to power.
Adequate representation of Nigerian engineers in the planning and implementation of all aspects of the power sector reform programme was also recommended by the Conference.
Delegates also asked government to ensure level playing ground for the independent power producers and other genuine investors in the power business.
As a matter of urgency, Conference said government must set up a committee to review the current National Electric Power Policy to make it suitable to provide a quantum leap required to propel Nigeria into the top 20 economies of the world; and that the Electric Power Sector Reform Act be aligned with the new policy.
It was observed that this might involve revisiting the contract entered into with the new private owners with a view to charting a way forward that would ensure increased, improved quality and sustainable electrical power supplies to Nigerians.
Conference agreed that the new private power companies be given two years to stabilize and provide efficient electricity supply to every Nigerian.
To realise the vision of providing electric power supply at affordable cost, Conference resolved that a deliberate policy be put in place to encourage local production of spare parts and all electrical equipment needed by the electricity supply industry.
Politicians, especially elected public officials, and aspiring politicians had a demand placed on them; that of making availability and usage of liquefied petroleum gas part of their constituency project undertaking.
Justus Awaji, Abuja
Researchers in Hong Kong and China have developed a new form of battery that is more eco-friendly and longer lasting than lithium ion batteries – and it runs on tofu brine. The new water battery is still in research phases, but if the technology proves to be scalable enough to hit commercial markets, it could be a game-changer for the energy and tech sectors.
“Compared with current aqueous battery systems … our system delivers exceptional long-term cycling stability and environmental friendliness under neutral conditions,” the research team, composed of scientists from the City University of Hong Kong and Southern University of Science and Technology in Shenzhen, Guangdong, said in a paper published this month in Nature Communications.
The researchers found that their battery model can be recharged over 120,000 times. “At over a hundred thousand cycles, this could mean a single water-based battery could last at least a decade or so,” states a recent report on the breakthrough from Interesting Engineering. “For applications like grid storage (solar farms, wind balancing), that’s extremely valuable,” the article went on to say.
This kind of lifespan would represent a drastic improvement over the battery technologies that dominate today’s market. Lithium-ion batteries degrade after between 1,000 and 3,000 charge cycles. This could prove revolutionary, as finding an alternative to lithium-ion batteries to power rechargeable devices is a major priority for Big Tech and the global energy sector.
Moreover, these tofu-brine batteries could prove safer and more environmentally friendly than lithium-ion batteries. According to the study authors, the full cells are environmentally benign and nontoxic and can be directly discarded to environments according to various standards.” Water based (also called aqueous) batteries can also potentially be cheap to produce as they rely on ingredients that are less rare in addition to being less hazardous.
Lithium is environmentally harmful to extract, prone to fires, and its supply chains are geopolitically fraught. Currently, China alone controls half of the global lithium market, and is rapidly increasing its stake. In 2024, more than eight in ten battery cells on the planet were made in China. This means that finding a battery model that can compete with lithium-ion batteries in applications like grid-scale energy storage and electric vehicles would have revolutionary implications for global markets.
Researchers around the world have been racing to develop battery models that could diversify the market and make it more competitive and resilient. These models range widely in size, components, and application, with models currently under development for next-gen sodium-ion batteries, quantum batteries, nuclear batteries, and even sand and dirt batteries.
Of course, the irony is that the leading alternatives to lithium-ion batteries are also being developed in Chinese labs. If this new tofu-brine battery proves scalable and applicable outside of a laboratory environment, it could just be another step toward Beijing’s goal of near-total domination of clean energy technology value chains and status as the world’s first and premiere ‘electro-state.’
China’s extreme advantage in global battery making gives it a major point of leverage in global economies as the world continues to electrify at a rapid pace. It is estimated that European demand for lithium in batteries will reach kilo tonnes (thousands of tonnes) of Lithium Carbonate Equivalent by next year, and North American demand will reach 250 kit LCE. it’s all but certain that the vast majority of that demand will be supplied by China.
Other nations are aware of the risk of this dependency, and are taking pains to protect and promote domestic battery manufacturing, but these efforts may be too little, too late. “For globally competitive battery manufacturing industries to emerge outside of Asia over the next ten years, companies will need to do far more than ensure regulatory compliance,” summarizes a McKinsey & Company report released in January. “Challenges will need to be overcome on multiple fronts spanning supply chains, talent management, operations and technology.”
By: Haley Zaremba
The Rural Electrification Agency (REA) says it will spend N100 billion in 2026 to deploy hybrid mini-grids for government agencies within and outside Abuja.
The Managing Directors, REA, Abba Aliyu, disclosed this while addressing newsmen on the sidelines of the 2026 budget defence session
The approved funds form part of the National Public Sector Solarisation programme, a component of the agency’s broader N170 billion budget proposal for 2026.
The initiative is designed to improve electricity reliability for public institutions while reducing operational costs and easing pressure on the national grid.
Aliyu explained that the agency’s total proposed budget for 2026 stands at N170 billion, with N100 billion of the amount dedicated specifically to the solarisation initiative targeting government agencies.
He said the hybrid mini-grid systems combine solar power with complementary energy sources to ensure an uninterrupted electricity supply.
“The total budget size for 2026 operations is N170 billion, out of which N100 billion had been approved for National Public Sector Solarisation.
Aliyu cited the National Hospital in Abuja as an example where similar infrastructure had been deployed to ensure stable power and cut operational expenses.He added that beyond the Solarisation
Recall that earlier in February 2026, REA signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to deploy solar power systems to 15 public institutions across Nigeria.
The project will be implemented under the Regional Off-Grid Electricity Access Project (ROGEAP), a World Bank-supported initiative aimed at expanding off-grid electricity access across West Africa and the Sahel.
ECOWAS will provide a $700,000 grant to fund the installation of solar photovoltaic systems in selected rural health centres and schools in the Federal Capital Territory, Niger, and Nasarawa States.
Oil & Energy
PIA: TotalEnergies Transfers OLO Oilfield HCDT Obligation To Aradel ……Says HCDT Enabled Completion of 100 Projects In 2 years
In his remarks, the Community Affairs Manager, Aradel Holdings Plc, Blessyn Okpowo, affirmed the company’s commitment to honouring all PIA obligations and continuing Total Energies’ community engagement approach.“We want to say that in line with the PIA, we will honour commitments and duties required of the settlor and we want to work very smoothly with the way TotalEnergies has worked with them,” he stated.
He recognised the Commission’s role in approving the Community Development Plan (CDP) before project start, underscoring regulatory excellence.The parties noted that between 2023 and 2025, the trust has enabled the completion of more than 100 community projects, spanning water supply, electricity, road infrastructure, education, and healthcare with a further 40 projects currently ongoing.
