In a move to bolster the nation’s energy landscape, the Federal Government, through the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC)(NERC), has greenlit 13 new licenses for the generation of off-grid and embedded power, independent electricity distribution, and electricity trading.
The Commission that the newly issued licenses were granted during the third quarter of 2023, with the total electricity generation capacity assigned to the licensees amounting to 40.9 megawatts.
In the recently released third quarter 2023 report by NERC, the section titled ‘Licences and Permits Issued or Renewed’ disclosed the issuance of five new off-grid generation licenses, capable of generating 8.81MW, during the review period. Additionally, one new license for embedded generation, with a capacity of 5MW, was granted.
The report clarified that the commission is responsible for issuing licences across various facets of the Nigeria Electricity Supply Industry, including electricity generation, transmission, distribution, trading, and system operations.
“For activities that do not require licences based on the provisions of sections 65-68 of the Electricity Act 2023, but still require authorisation from the commission, such as off-grid captive power generation and mini-grid development, the commission issues permit to the operators following a review of the relevant applications,” the report revealed.
On other licenses that were issued, the Commission said, “One new license for Independent Electricity Distribution Network, one new license for trading, three off-grid generation licenses, one embedded generation, and one IEDN license.”
