The Rural Electrification Agency (REA) on Sunday received 18 equipment for testing the standards of renewable energy components from the Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.

The handover meeting of tools for the World-Class Mini-Grid Standardization and Simulation equipment, between REA and Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd was held in Abuja.

Huawei is a Chinese multinational corporation and technology company headquartered in Longgang, Shenzhen.

According to the Huawei Nigeria Board Director, Zhang Jing, the tools which worth $15,000 were given to the REA free of charge.

He said the 18 equipment or project which make up the REA Mini Grid Testing lab is a key outcome of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s vision and visit to China to bring electricity to more people in remote areas.

The mini grids systems, he said, will help improve Nigeria’s power infrastructure – ensuring renewable energy across the country are reliable and efficient. 

He explained that they have been designed to handle different environmental challenges and withstand extreme weather conditions.

Speaking, the REA Managing Director, Engr. Abba Aliyu recalled that the hand over ceremony of the REA Mini-Grid Standardization and Simulation Series was a key outcome of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu September 2024 visit to China to bring electricity to more people in the remote areas. 

He said, “Sometime in September 2024, Mr. President Poland visited China, part of the China-Nigeria and China-Africa initiative. Key highlight of that visit is a memorandum of understanding that was signed under the leadership of Minister of Power between the Rural Electrification Agency and Huawei.

 “The MOU was signed for Huawei to support the REA in developing a world-class mini-grid standardization and simulation center.

“I am happy to say that today we are witnessing the fulfilling of all the commitments signed under that memorandum of understanding.”

The REA boss said the importance of this grid standardization and simulation center cannot be over-emphasized.

Aliyu said Nigeria is working towards positioning itself as the renewable hub of Africa. 

He added that to achieve that, Nigeria would require to catalyze private sector investment in the manufacturing assembly of all the renewable equipment in the country. 

He lamented that one key thing that may hinder that is the availability of substandard or used equipment that keep coming into Nigeria.

Meanwhile, Aliyu said the private sector will require the assurance and the confidence that if they put in their money and build a manufacturing outfit in the manufacturing of photovoltaic panels or assembly, they would not be competing with people that import second-hand or substandard PV panels. 

To address that, he said REA sought the support of Huawei and the Chinese government for the development of the simulation and standardization center. 

He stressed that the center will help REA to sieve out all substandard and second-hand equipment, be it the PV panels or batteries.

Continuing, he said, “A total of about 18 equipments have been provided under this MOU partnership by Huawei. We have oxylicon, power analyzer, multimedia, electronic load, AFCI generator, DC power, pyranometer, handler pyranometer, battery analyzer, micrometer, screw gauge, vernier caliper, tool kit, computers, idea hub, and printers.”

He said some of these equipment that Huawei provides to REA are first of their kind in this country. 

Commending the relief the lab will be to REA, he said gone are the days solar panels were moved up and down for testing.

Aliyu noted added that the centre can now simulate the condition of the equipment remotely irrespective of their location and condition.

“But with this simulation center, which has been done to some of the equipment that has been donated to us by Huawei, we were able to simulate different green light conditions, different humidity, different temperature, that shows the different conditions of various environments we have in the country,” he said.