Renewable and Conventional Energy Technology

PARASTATALS SUPERVISED BY THE DEPARTMENT

Chemical Technology Division

i.Initiation, formulation, implementation, monitoring and review of policies and programmes for the application of chemical technology in the industrial practices of the Nation.
ii.Development of priorities in chemical technology research and development.
iii.Problem identification in industrial practices of the Nation and development of research and other strategies for their solutions especially chemical and allied industries.

Renewable Energy Division

i.Coordinating the initiation, formulation, implementation, monitoring and review of the national and Renewable energy policies.
ii.Coordination of activities to ensure that other Renewable energy policies derive from and are consistent with the National Energy Policies
iii.Development of priorities in energy research and development including determination of programmes and projects for their implementation in the country
iv.Promotion of Research and Development for providing solutions to energy related problems associated with environmental degradation, pollution and climatic changes
v.Promotion of pilot plants in respect of locally developed energy generation, devices and technologies.

Conventional Energy Division

i.Coordinating the initiation, formulation, implementation, monitoring and review of the national and Sectoral energy policies.
ii.Coordination of activities to ensure that other Sectoral energy policies derive from and are consistent with the National Energy Policies
iii.Development of priorities in energy research and development including determination of programmes and projects for their implementation in the country
iv.Promotion of Research and Development for providing solutions to energy related problems associated with environmental degradation, pollution and climatic changes
v.Promotion of pilot plants in respect of locally developed energy generation, devices and technologies.

Process Technology Division

i.Initiation, formulation, implementation, monitoring and review of policies and programmes for the application of process technology in the industrial practices of the Nation.
ii.Development of priorities in process technology research and development.
iii.Problem identification in industrial practices of the Nation and development of research and other strategies for their solutions especially in process technologies.

Collaborations with other MDAs.

There are four (5) branches in the Department, namely:-
i. Industrial Chemicals
ii. Leather Technology
iii. Convectional Energy and
iv. Renewable/Alternative Energy
v. International and Collaborations

1. Industrial Chemicals Branch

This branch is expected to proffer Research and Development activities that would lead to producing intermediate and finished chemicals for various industries from locally available raw materials. Various sections of the chemical industry such as pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, and synthetic textiles, organic and inorganic chemicals would be the focus of this branch.

2. Leather Technology Branch

The branch will coordinate Research and Development in providing services to the Nigerian Leather Products and tanning industry. Currently, raw materials for the industry are imported from abroad. Research and Development of raw materials which can be sourced locally will be of paramount important, example, production of sulphated fat liquor, pancreatic fungal (composite) Bate G, mineral acids, salts and bases.

3. Conventional Energy Branch

Traditionally, oil has and is still Nigeria’s main revenue earner and a major source of energy in terms of petroleum products, kerosene, diesel and many others. Similarly, hydro-power is a major source of base load electricity generation in the country. Also there is large deposit of coal in Nigeria and it is very much underutilized.
This branch will focus on coordinating Research and Development activities geared into:
i.Developing Nigeria’s local content within the oil and gas industry and improving the efficiency of production of oil and gas.
ii.Increasing the percentage contribution of hydro-electricity to the total national energy mix in an environment-friendly manner.
iii.Development of local briquettes as a source of energy use within Nigeria
iv. Ensuring clean technology in all aspects of the chemical and allied industries

4. Renewable /Alternative Energy Branch

Renewable energy sources of Nigeria amongst which are Solar Energy, Wind Energy, Geothermal and Tidal Energy, Small hydro resources, Bio-fuels, Biomass being developed to contribute to the nations energy mix. More importantly, they have been identified as capable of providing electricity generation to remote and rural areas of Nigeria which are far from the National grid and hence can not be economically supplied by electricity by the conventional energy sources. They are also environment-friendly.

The Department has four sections, namely:
i. Process Design and Development
ii. Hides and Skin Research and Development
iii. Oil and Gas, Hydropower and Coal
iv. Renewable, Bio-fuel, Biomass and Nuclear

Their functions are stated below:

1. Process Design and Development

This section will oversee the development of local raw materials to an intermediate or finished chemical product by ensuring that the Research and Development activities reaches a pilot plant stage with the process flow diagram and design ready for onward commercialization.

2. Hides and Skin Research and Development

While developing Research and Development activities in Hides and Skin to be used for leather products, this section is also charged with designing suitable cost effluent treatment process/plants with a view to keeping industrial pollutants from the tannery industry within tolerable

3. Oil and Gas, Hydropower, Coal and Nuclear Section

i. This section is charged with developing coal briquettes that can act as substitute to fuel wood and domesticate the technology
ii. Development of Research and Development activities that is relevant to Nigeria’s Petrochemical industry (that is Olefins and Aromatics)
iii. Coordinate the production of hydropower equipment in Nigeria
iv. Develop manpower capacity required in this sector Similarly, Research and Development activity in nuclear Science and Technology which is useful in the medical, agriculture, electricity generation, industry and water resources management is being developed within the branch.

4. Renewable, Bio-Fuel, Biomass Section

The section is to continue coordinating research aimed at provision of renewable energy (solar, wind, etc) to communities which have no access to electricity
i. To set up pilot/projects as a demonstration of the Research and Development efforts on the need to use renewable energy within Nigeria
ii. To demonstrate this technology by encouraging Research and Development activities that would lead to the local production of Solar Panels, Wind Turbines, Balance of Systems (Converters, Inverters, Controllers and Chargers, etc)