FEASIBILITY ASSESSMENT OF OFFSHORE WIND ENERGY INTEGRATION INTO NIGERIA’S POWER GRID: A CASE STUDY OF THE NIGER DELTA

Attempting to solve the problems of the Nigerian energy sector can be achieved by integrating offshore wind energy into the national grid, thus ensuring the diversification of energy mix and energy security. This study examines its feasibility based on technical, financial, and infrastructure needs at locations in the Niger Delta: namely Bonny Island, Yenagoa, and Warri. The wind velocity, direction, and power density were measured within three years through the use of statistical models including Weibull distribution. Based on the resulting data, the highest potential generation of offshore wind energy is portrayed by Bonny Island, bearing good wind with infrastructural build-up. While significant barriers arise for integration due to transmission inefficiencies, there are underutilized generation capacities and capacity shortfall. The economic analysis through the models of ROI, LCOE, and NPV indicates that the offshore wind energy projects have the potential to provide huge returns: a positive ROI of 396.54%. Recommendations are made for grid infrastructure upgrade, public-private partnerships, and supportive policies to be put in place for large-scale adoption of wind energy from the offshore wind farm in Nigeria.