FG Commissions 5.2 mmscfd CNG Plant In Lagos
…Plans roll-out of six more CNG stations nationwide
By Stephanie Odiase
The Federal Government has commissioned a 5.2 million standard cubic feet per day (mmscfd) Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) plant in Lagos, as part of efforts to provide alternative source of fuel for Nigerians and lessen the impact of subsidy removal on petrol.
Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas) Rt. Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo, who commissioned the plant at the Isolo Industrial Area, Ilasamaja in Lagos, on Thursday, said the occasion, under the theme “From Gas to Prosperity: CNG for All,” represents a critical turning point in the development of affordable, sustainable, and secure energy sources in the country.
He noted that although the elimination of the petrol subsidy has brought difficulties, it has also given Nigeria a once-in-a-lifetime chance to invent and adopt more economical, efficient, and sustainable energy alternatives.
Ekpo said the use of CNG as a transport fuel is a mature technology used globally as it is the cleanest burning fuel in terms of Nitro-oxide and soot emissions. “While it can be employed to power passenger cars and city buses, CNG passenger vehicles emit 5-10% less CO2 than comparable gasoline powered passenger vehicles,” the Minister added.
The Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mr. Mele Kyari, in his remarks disclosed plans to expand CNG access nationwide.
He said to maintain energy security and provide more access to CNG, the NNPCL has reached a Final Investment Decision (FID) with Axxela Limited to deliver Six CNG service stations plants of 5.2mmscfd capacity each, in selected locations spread across the six geopolitical zones including the FCT to ease access to bulk CNG.
Kyari explained that the move was in addition to NNPCL Retail’s phased deployment of CNG in over 100 stations across the country as well as other Joint Venture partnerships on CNG.
In particular, Kyari revealed that the commissioning of the NNPCL CNG Station in Ilasamaja Lagos was part of NNPC’s efforts to grow domestic gas supply and utilization by deploying gas infrastructure nationwide.
He said the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) explicitly mandated the company to promote domestic gas utilisation, thereby strengthening the company’s resolve to deploy critical gas infrastructure projects across the country.
“NNPC will continue to deliver more strategic projects for the benefit of our country. We shall utilise our gas resources for industrialisation, power generation and economic prosperity for all,” Kyari stated.
The Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, said in demonstration of its resolve to champion CNG utilisation across Lagos State, the State Government has concluded plans to deploy 2,500 conversion kits and over 2,000 new CNG buses, which will commence operations before the end of the year.
Extractive360 reports that the NNPC CNG Station Ilasamaja is a 5.2mmscf per day capacity station that can serve vehicles and also supply gas to industries and other companies. The Facility has dispensing points for filling cars, buses, trucks and tricycles, utilizing CNG and can fill about 3,700 cars or 600 trucks/buses every day thereby providing a constant supply of CNG. The CNG plant was built through a partnership between NNPC Gas Marketing Limited (NGML) and an Axxela Company, Transit Gas Nigeria Limited.
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