A pioneer Liquefied Natural Gas production and distribution company in Nigeria, Greenville LNG, says it is committed to revolutionise the transportation industry to cushion the hardship faced by the people as well as to foster sustainable growth and development.
The company has also laid a foundation for the establishment of a Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and Liquefied Compressed Natural Gas (L-CNG) facility in Lafia, the Nasarawa State Capital.
The project worth over USD2 million, with the production capacity of 23 metric tons of LNG and 1,500 scm LCNG for the whole North Central region of the country, is located in Sabon-Pegi Shabu, an outskirts of the capital city.
Greenville LNG, which is spearheading the investment, is in partnership with the state government, aimed to promote a virtual gas supply for businesses and individuals in Nasarawa State and by extension the North Central region of the country.
With the recent deregulation of the petroleum industry by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the plant is apt and necessary, providing an alternative and cleaner energy sources that will serve the region.
The Lafia LNG plant, according to Greenville is a fallout and a commitment made during the 2022 Nasarawa Investment Summit (NIS), to help advance the industrialization agenda of Governor Abdullahi Sule’s administration.
The liquefied gas station was to further foster a greener and a more sustainable future for Nasarawa state, by creating opportunities for growth, employment and economic prosperity for the people, even as the company is ready to serve the people with smaller businesses in the state, as well as to convert their tricycles, generating sets, motorcycles and vehicles to be using liquefied natural gas, as against the use of petroleum, gas and diesel.
The citing of the LNG plant was, primarily to address fuel shortage, cushion the burden of high petroleum prices, to enhance gas distribution, reduce carbon air pollution, foster a cleaner environment, and by ensuring stability and affordability of gas to the people of the state and the region as a whole, when the project is completed.
In order to expand its reach and to decongest the Lafia station, the company hopes to establish another facility in Karu Local Government to care for people around the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, as the initiative stands to benefit all segments of the society, by creating more inclusive and prosperous economic for everyone.
By promoting clean energy in the North central region, the project will provide an alternative fuel for diesel-operated vehicles, resulting in up to 25% savings on running costs and also provide opportunities for investors and local businesses in Nasarawa State’s industrial and auto-gas sectors.
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At an elaborate ceremony at the project site in Lafia, which also witnessed the official handover of the C-of-O for the project, which was facilitated by the State’s one-stop shop, the Nasarawa State Investment and Development Agency(NASIDA), after signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Nasarawa state Government and Greenville LNG in November last year.
Governor Abdullahi Sule, who performed the groundbreaking ceremony for Greenville LNG and LCNG facility said, the citing of the plant in Lafia is a relief for companies to stop over and buy liquefied gas for their trucks.
The governor said, in order to attract more investments, beneficial to the people, there is the need for the state government to provide conducive environment for investors to establish their presence in the state.
The Governor, who expressed optimism that Greenville is bringing alternative and cheaper energy sources, especially at a time when the cost of petrol is soaring higher following the removal of fuel subsidy.
He particularly expressed hope that, the gas project will lead to the conversion of petrol engines to gas, especially for heavy-duty trucks, as well as smaller vehicles such as commercial motorcycles tricycles.
The Governor then mentioned how countries like Brazil and others are exploiting clean energy to drive their economies.
He used the opportunity of the event to speak on what his administration put on ground to evolve synergy between Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), which is making it possible for private investors to come into the state to invest their money.
“We came in and met two situations on ground. The first situation is that a lot of land have been bought by investors who were looking for certificate of occupancy in order for them to be able to go and raise money from the banks in order to expand the businesses and employ our people but they didn’t get it.
“Secondly, we had a lot of people, indigenes of Nassarawa State that have bought so many lands and were waiting for certificates so that they can be able to access small loans here and there and to be able to carry on their businesses but they couldn’t get.
“That is the reason why, in the past four years, I spent sleepless nights in checking the documents and signing the certificates so that our people will be able to go about their businesses.
“These are the two basic reasons driving me to sign these certificates. In fact, this particular certificate that I gave right now, I only signed it yesterday along with 300 other certificates,” he said.
Sule spoke on how his administration went through a lot to sign an agreement with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) for the effective utilization of the available gas resources in the state.
“We had a summit that attracted companies like Greenville to come in and see the opportunities that we have in Nasarawa State. We had the various agencies, we had what we call the Ease of Doing Business for these various MDAs to come together to understand that to attract investment you need to be able to provide the environment that is there,” he said.
On his part, the Managing Director of Greenville LNG, Ritu Sahajwalla, who was represented by the Company’s Director of Administration, Joseph Oyadonyi, pointed out that the project will further crystalize the industrialization drive of Governor Sule as it will bring more in investment to the state.
“Our project will bring numerous benefits to the host community, starting with the creation of employment opportunities. We understand the importance of job creation and economic empowerment, and we have tried to contribute to the further crystallization of investments in this area,” the MD said.
Sahajwalla said, the recent derugulation of the petroleum industry has necessitate the urgent need for alternative and cleaner energy sources, with the timing for his company’s LNG and L-CNG apt as it provides a solution to the high petrol prices that is burdening the common man, ensuring stability and affordability of gas.
“You can convert your small generator. You can use the LNG to power it. Then your vehicle that is using petrol based on the capacity, through conversion kit, you can use LNG to power the vehicle,” he added.
Sahajwalla disclosed that, the company will establish another facility in Karu Local Government Area after the completion of the first project in Lafia.
Earlier, the Managing Director/CEO, Nasarawa Investment Development Agency (NASIDA), Ibrahim Abdullahi, said, the 2 million US dollars investment by Greenville LNG is the first of its kind in the North Central region of the country and has 23 metric tones capacity of LNG and 1,500 SCM of L-CNG.
Abdullahi added that, the project will usher in the introduction of LNG and LCNG usage for heavy-duty trucks as well as smaller vehicles such as automobiles and Keke NAPEP in the region as fuel prices has skyrocketed since the removal of fuel subsidy by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in May.
The NASIDA MD described the groundbreaking event as a testimony of Governor Sule’s vision to industrialize Nasarawa State.
“Nigeria is a gas producing country distracted by oil production. Today, with the groundbreaking of this facility, you are ushering in the development of a major facility that will help in promoting clean energy and add up to Nigeria’s quest for a just energy transition,” he said.
