A Review of the Feasibility of Selected Renewable Energy Technologies in Delta State of Nigeria

The significance of Renewable Energy Technologies (RETs) to sustainable development, although largely undisputed is often categorized by inherent ‘implementation-related’ challenges. Such challenges are largely associated with conflicts in establishing the suitability of each technology to specific regions based on the unique peculiarities of each region. Therefore, in an attempt to facilitate the resolution of these ‘suitability-based conflicts’ this investigation sought to explore common RETs as obtained from literature via a combination of interpretive, discourse and synthesis analysis. The study sought to establish the most viable RETs for Delta State of Nigeria based on the theoretical exploration of the peculiarities of the state as obtained from literature. This analysis was subsequently able to establish the viability of all RETs considered with the exception of the liquid bio fuels due to identified possible impacts. These negative impacts include the possible increase in cassava prices, suggested significant Life Cycle Accounting (LCA) of the entire production process as well as the relatively poorer technological competence within the region for the production of 3rd generation bio fuels. Indeed this study attempted to summarize the unique peculiarities of each technology considered to aid the analysis while simultaneously considering the hydrogeology as well as the climate of Delta State of Nigerian as a conduit for establishing the validity of the conclusion of this analysis.