56 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) stations will be built nationwide by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) in conjunction with NIPCO Gas Limited.
The NNPC Ltd claimed that the agreement was a component of its dedication to lessening its carbon footprint and offering motorists more affordable alternative fuel.
Malam Mele Kyari, Group Chief Executive Officer, NNPC Ltd., briefed journalists in Abuja on Thursday and said the move was in addition to the phased deployment of 56 CNG stations planned by NNPC Retail around the nation.
According to Kyari, the partnership will increase the nation’s CNG infrastructure, increase access to CNG, and hasten the adoption of Keke NAPEP, a less expensive and cleaner alternative fuel that is often used in buses, vehicles, and tricycles.
When asked about the cost of CNG when it is operational, Kyari stated that the price per kilogramme would be set by market forces and that the cost would be extremely reasonable because fuel is more stable than oil.
He said that the initiative would benefit Nigerians in many ways, including by giving them access to cheaper gasoline, lowering the cost of travel, reducing carbon emissions, and establishing new value chains for businesses and job prospects.
35 cutting-edge CNG stations, including three Mother stations, will be built nationally as part of the NNPC-NIPCO strategic cooperation.
When fully operating, the stations will be able to service more than 200,000 vehicles each day, greatly lowering carbon emissions and their accompanying climate effect.
Phased implementation of the project is planned. By the first quarter of 2024, the first phase, which consists of 21 CNG stations, will be ready to facilitate intra-city transit.
“The second phase, comprising 35 CNG stations, will support inter-city transformation and be ready by the first quarter of 2025,” the official stated.
The GCEO stated that the NNPC Ltd. had floated NNPC Prime LNG Limited for domestic LNG production and delivery in order to strengthen and sustain this programme.
The deployment phases, according to him, would be short, medium, and long term.
The CNG refuelling stations would be co-located with existing NNPC Retail and NIPCOS stations, he said, adding that these stations would also serve as workshops for vehicle conversion/retrofit. The short term would also include immediate deployment in major cities.
“The Medium Term will cover deployment across the country to deepen the utilisation across the country to provide more workshops for vehicle conversion and partner with Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMS) for supply of refuelling stations, conversion kits for LNG/CNG trucks, among other things.
“The long term will cover in-country production to capture and penetrate regional markets with design and production of key refuelling equipment, conversion kits, among others,” the speaker stated.
He added that it was working with Miju Auto Gas, a well-known CNG kit OEM located in India, to establish training and conversion facilities to make it easier for local car conversions from petrol to CNG.
He claims that NIPCO Gas Limited has converted more than 7,000 vehicles to run on compressed natural gas and that it now manages 14 CNG stations across Nigeria.
He continued by saying that NIPCO’s technical expertise and practical experience will support the initiative’s success and enhance its beneficial effects on the economy of the country.
Speaking, Mr Nagendra Verma, Managing Director of NIPCO, said collaboration with NNPC Ltd will increase gas consumption.
While claiming to have 12 years of experience in the distribution of car CNG, Verma also stated that NIPCO would continue to collaborate with NNPC Ltd in order to expand the petrol market.
He gave the Nigerian people his word that it would provide the economic fuel they expected. (NAN)
