Assessment of Wind Energy Alternative in Nigeria from the Lessons of the Katsina Wind Farm

The harnessing of kinetic energy through the wind has been used for centuries, be it in form of powering sail boats, windmills or furnaces. However it was not until 1979 that the modern wind power industry began in earnest with the production of wind turbines. The use of wind energy as a form of renewable energy gained momentum in the 80s and 90s and there are now thousands of wind turbines operating all over the world (Abdelaziz et al 2011; Fangbele et al 2011). The modern and most commonly used wind turbine has a horizontal axis with two or more aero-dynamic blades mounted on the shaft. These blades can travel at over several times the wind speed, generating electricity which is captured by a medium voltage power collection system and fed through to the power transmission network. Wind farms can range from single turbines for domestic use, through to large commercial farm either onshore or off-shore. The energy emitted is measured in watts per hour (kilowatts, megawatts and gigawatts), the turbines currently in manufacture have power ratings ranging from 250kW to 5MW. To put that into perspective, a 10kW turbine will generate enough electricity generation to meet the annual electricity consumption of an average house hold in the US or 10 rural villages in Nigeria. Regardless of the size of the farm, the placement of the turbine is the key to its success. Wind farms are often opposed and refused planning permission, due to general belief that they ruin the natural environment; in very remote locations, there may be a lack of available transmission lines, protected fauna that may be displaced by the farm, not to mention the difficulties in transporting the turbines to the site in the first instance. Despite its setbacks, wind power is still seen to be cheap, low maintenance form of renewable energy which makes it imperative for Nigeria to adopt among its energy mix (Kwon 2010). The study area  is in Katsina State of Nigeria. Katsina State extends from the arid southern Sahara (where there are important towns such as Jibiya, Katsina, Maiadua and Daura), Southwards through the semi-arid dry lands (with important towns like Dutsin-ma and Kankia) to the semi-arid savannah (with important towns like Malunfashi and Funtua). These settlements mentioned could be placed on an effective wind energy alternative for domestic electricity generation. The Katsina wind project could achieve this but there are several misgivings from the critics of the project. This chapter is intended to review the factors considered necessary in setting such a project i.e project’s cost, wind penetration, wind predictability, wind reliability and energy storage. The objective of the research was to assess the extent at which these factors were considered in the project

Urban Vegetation Study of Kaduna Metropolis using GIS and Remotely sensed Data

Kaduna metropolis is an example a careful urban planning by the colonialists in 1920’s which gradually deteriorated in quality due to poor development control and city management. This study on urban vegetation using Remote Sensing and GIS technique was a follow up on Al-Amin 2005 which used quadrant urban vegetation was studied by the quadrant method. The use of GIS technique has revealed several minute details that were not exposed by the quadrant study of 2005. The analysis shows that only 1.267km2 out of the total study area segmentation of 11.832km2 are covered with a regular pattern vegetation distribution. This only constituted about 10.72% vegetation area while 89.28% Lack vegetation. The study also shows that part of the study area that are without vegetation was (89.28%) equivalent to 10.56km2 is densely populated with high commercial activities and high traffic, while the area classified with vegetation cover (10.72%), equivalent to only 1.267km2 has scarcity population with very low commercial activities and low traffic. This situation is attributed to people’s adaptation to a city without vegetation and seems to lack or ignore its consequences. Keywords: Vegetation, Kaduna, GIS, Segmentation, classification, Satellit

Investigation of Anthropogenic Water Contamination and the Design of a Multi-Stage Filtration System for Point of Use Application.

This research study investigated the anthropogenic contamination of water sources (surface, groundwater and tap water) in Kaduna metropolis, Nigeria. The water sources were identified and delineated on the basis of land use; domestic, commercial, agricultural, industrial and refinery areas. The water sampling programme was undertaken from 2009 to 2011 in accordance with the Standard Methods (APHA, 2005) covering hand dug wells, streams and rivers. Water samples were analysed for various water quality parameters, including pH, temperature, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand and faecal coliforms. Also analysed were trace element levels by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The results were compared with drinking water guideline legislations of relevant agencies and governments. Groundwater samples were found to be most contaminated with microbiological coliforms from the improper disposal of domestic sewage and the proximity of these water wells to the sewage points. Surface water (streams and rivers) were found to be more chemically contaminated than groundwater due to urban run-off and the discharge of solid wastes. In general, trace elements (As, Mo, Se, Cd, Sb & Pb) levels were found to be generally below the guideline limits of the regulatory bodies with the exception of Mn near textile industries; Ni near vehicle assembly plant and Cu & Zn were higher in tap water. The determination of anthropogenic water contamination led to the selection and design of a multi stage filtration system to treat water at point of use for residents without access to potable water. Experiments at pilot scale were undertaken using raw and chemically modified lake water. The results showed that this basic filtration system was capable of reducing the turbidity and faecal colifoim levels of the lake water. Furthermore, Al, Mn and Fe levels were reduced. The pilot filtration system was scaled-up for field application in Kaduna, Nigeria (December 2012 to March 2013). Five filtration plants were established to treat raw water from domestic and commercial ground/surface waters, and industrial surface water of the Nigerian study area. The results showed that it is not capable of providing water that is completely potable but can produce water that is, to a great extent treated for turbidity and bacterial contamination better than the water available for domestic use by people in low income bracket and those in emergency situations such as aftermath of natural disasters e. g. Typhoon Haiyan

Investigation of Anthropogenic Water Contamination and the Design of a Multi-Stage Filtration System for Point of Use Application.

This research study investigated the anthropogenic contamination of water sources (surface, groundwater and tap water) in Kaduna metropolis, Nigeria. The water sources were identified and delineated on the basis of land use; domestic, commercial, agricultural, industrial and refinery areas. The water sampling programme was undertaken from 2009 to 2011 in accordance with the Standard Methods (APHA, 2005) covering hand dug wells, streams and rivers. Water samples were analysed for various water quality parameters, including pH, temperature, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand and faecal coliforms. Also analysed were trace element levels by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The results were compared with drinking water guideline legislations of relevant agencies and governments. Groundwater samples were found to be most contaminated with microbiological coliforms from the improper disposal of domestic sewage and the proximity of these water wells to the sewage points. Surface water (streams and rivers) were found to be more chemically contaminated than groundwater due to urban run-off and the discharge of solid wastes. In general, trace elements (As, Mo, Se, Cd, Sb & Pb) levels were found to be generally below the guideline limits of the regulatory bodies with the exception of Mn near textile industries; Ni near vehicle assembly plant and Cu & Zn were higher in tap water. The determination of anthropogenic water contamination led to the selection and design of a multi stage filtration system to treat water at point of use for residents without access to potable water. Experiments at pilot scale were undertaken using raw and chemically modified lake water. The results showed that this basic filtration system was capable of reducing the turbidity and faecal colifoim levels of the lake water. Furthermore, Al, Mn and Fe levels were reduced. The pilot filtration system was scaled-up for field application in Kaduna, Nigeria (December 2012 to March 2013). Five filtration plants were established to treat raw water from domestic and commercial ground/surface waters, and industrial surface water of the Nigerian study area. The results showed that it is not capable of providing water that is completely potable but can produce water that is, to a great extent treated for turbidity and bacterial contamination better than the water available for domestic use by people in low income bracket and those in emergency situations such as aftermath of natural disasters e. g. Typhoon Haiyan