May 30, (THEWILL)- The federal government has commissioned a 5.2 million standard cubic feet per day (mmscfd) Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) plant in Lagos.
The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, commissioned the plant on Thursday, at the Isolo Industrial Area, in Ilasamaja.
Ekpo, speaking on the theme “From Gas to Prosperity: CNG for All”, said the plant is aimed at efforts to provide alternative sources of fuel for Nigerians,
“Although the elimination of the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) subsidy has brought difficulties, it has also given us a once-in-a-lifetime chance to invent and adopt more economical, efficient, and sustainable energy alternatives”, he said.
Ekpo noted that 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”, he added.
In his remarks, the GCEO NNPC Limited, Mallam Mele Kyari, said to maintain energy security and provide more access to CNG by the Nigerian populace, NNPC has reached a Final Investment Decision (FID) with Axxela Limited to deliver six CNG mother and service station plants and stations of 5.2 mmscfd capacity each, in selected locations spread across the six geopolitical zones, including the FCT, to ease access to bulk CNG.
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, said the establishment of the CNG plant aligns perfectly with his vision for economic development, job creation, and industrialisation, in the State.
He 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.
In his goodwill message, the Chief Executive, the Presidential CNG Initiative, Engineer Michael Oluwagbemi, described the plant commissioning as a testament to President Tinubu’s commitment to providing sustainable energy solutions for Nigerians.
