The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited has taken a significant step towards providing motorists with more affordable and eco-friendly fuel options.
In a recent announcement, NNPC revealed its strategic partnership with NIPCO Gas Limited to develop Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) stations across the country.
Garba Deen Muhammad, the Chief Corporate Communications Officer of NNPC, signed the statement on Thursday in Abuja, emphasizing the company’s commitment to reducing carbon footprint in the nation.
The initiative comes in addition to NNPC Retail’s plan to deploy 56 CNG stations across Nigeria.
The CNG stations will be rolled out in two phases, with the first phase targeting the completion of 21 stations for intra-city transportation by the first quarter of 2024.
The second phase will focus on inter-city transportation, with 35 CNG stations expected to be operational by the first quarter of 2025.
According to him, the partnership would expand existing CNG infrastructure, improve access to CNG, and accelerate the adoption of cheaper and cleaner alternative fuel for buses, cars and Keke NAPEP to significantly reduce the cost of transportation and engender sustainable national economic growth.
The statement partly reads: “Under the NNPC-NIPCO strategic partnership, 35 state-of-the-art CNG stations will be constructed nationwide, including three (3) Mother stations.
“Once fully operational, the stations can service over 200,000 vehicles daily, thereby significantly reducing carbon emissions and associated impact on climate.
“The project will be rolled out in phases. The first phase, comprising 21 CNG stations, will support intra-city transportation and be ready by the first quarter of 2024; While the second phase, comprising 35 CNG stations, will support inter-city transformation and will be ready by the first quarter of 2025.
“To deepen and sustain this initiative, NNPC Ltd. has floated NNPC Prime LNG Limited for domestic LNG production and supply. NNPC is also collaborating with Miju Auto Gas, a leading CNG kit Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) based in India, to set up training and conversion centres to facilitate in-country conversion of vehicles from petrol to CNG.
“NIPCO Gas Limited is currently operating 14 CNG stations across Nigeria and has converted over 7,000 vehicles to run on CNG. NIPCO’s technical competency and field experience will bolster this initiative’s success and amplify its positive impact on the nation’s economy.
“This forward-thinking initiative will leverage Nigeria’s abundant natural gas resources to bring multiple benefits to Nigerians, including access to cheaper fuel, reduced cost of transportation, reduced carbon emission, create new business value chains and streams of job opportunities.
“NNPC Limited remains committed to reliably delivering energy while continuously creating value for Nigeria’s prosperous future.”
