GE canvasses increased utilisation of LPG for power generation

To tackle electricity generation challenges in Nigeria, General Electric has called for increased usage of liquefied petroleum gas as fuel source for power generation.

LPG also referred to as propane or butane, are flammable mixtures of hydrocarbon gases used as fuel in heating appliances, cooking equipment and vehicles. The company says that Nigeria as an oil producing country, with refineries and vast gas reserves is best positioned to take advantage of it.

GE made the presentation at a panel session on “Powering manufacturing in Nigeria without power,” organised by the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), to inaugurate their Large Corporation Group- a strategic group that will generate policy recommendations for the association – in Lagos.

“The power deficit in Nigeria requires concerted cooperation of all stakeholders in the power ecosystem,” said Lazarus Angbazo, president and CEO of GE Nigeria.
He added, “There is no foreseeable way of boosting manufacturing in Nigeria without fixing the power sector.”

Nigeria’s power generation has slumped to less than 2000 megawatts due to operational challenges experienced by gas power generation companies and constraints in the thermal power stations which have prevented the generators from producing at optimal levels.

Frank Udemba Jacobs, national president of the MAN recently said that his members have been spending an average of N9bn daily to generate electricity in their factories.
“From last year, nothing has changed in the sector, we all know that in terms of power generation, our members spend billions of naira and this is going up daily because we are daily increasing capacity. I think it is more than N9bn daily,” Jacobs told Ogbonnaya Onu, minister of science and technology when he visited the minister in Abuja.

GE has been operating in Nigeria for over 40 years with businesses spanning across a number of key sectors including aviation, energy, healthcare, power, water and rail transportation.
Since the past two years, the company has renewed its focus, built new service facilities, and employed more people to expand their capabilities. GE’s footprint consists of offices in Lagos and Abuja and over 100 public and private sector customers.

The companyy has supplied four gas turbines to Papalanto (Phase II) thermal power plant. The plant’s output is strategic to Nigeria’s national electricity grid, which targets a generating capacity of 10,000 MW within two years and 40,000 MW by 2020.

 

ISAAC ANYAOGU