NIPCO Hails Tinubu For Promoting Auto-Gas Initiative
. Says CNG Is Four Times Cheaper Than Petrol
By Frederick Wright
NIPCO Plc has acknowledged the efforts of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in promoting the use of auto-gas in Nigeria.
The company disclosed that Nigerians will now have to choose wisely stating that Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) is four times cheaper than petrol.
Senior Executive of NIPCO Plc, Ramesh Kansagra, who disclosed this during the company’s visitation to President Tinubu at Aso Villa, Abuja, said NIPCO is in full support of the petroleum industry’s reforms and therefore pledged support for the downstream gas expansion.
He said the company had recognized the potential of CNG 15 years ago when NIPCO sought government’s approval to establish the gas infrastructure that allowed motorists to switch to gas.
Noting that today, that vision aligns perfectly with President Tinubu’s goal of promoting gas as a transition fuel, he said the administration’s reforms would unlock numerous benefits to Nigeria’s economy.
He pledged that NIPCO would continue to invest in gas infrastructure to ensure more motorists and industries benefit from gas-powered solutions.
“Motorists now have a choice to either buy petrol at N1, 000.00 per liter or buy equivalent CNG at N230.00 per SCM,” he said.
Kansagra, noted that CNG is four times cheaper than petrol and gas is produced in Nigeria whereas 50% of petrol is currently acquired through importation.
Affirming the renewed momentum in the gas sector, which he noted had opened a new vista for motorists to adopt Compressed Natural Gas (Auto CNG) as a cleaner alternative to conventional fossil fuels, he lauded President Tinubu’s proactive policies, such as the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative (PCNGi), which has made significant strides in expanding access to auto CNG for transportation.
“The president’s push for gas as an alternative energy source reflects the global trend towards use of cleaner fuels, and it is timely for Nigeria,” he said.
Kansagra said NIPCO has promised to scale up investment in gas infrastructure and this expansion would help more motorists and industrial users to benefit from the economic and environmental advantages of running vehicles, plant and equipment on gas.
“For instance, NIPCO is the only single company that is constructing 100 KM 18″ gas pipeline from Lagos to Ibadan along the Lagos – Ibadan Expressway at a cost of US$ 100 million,” he stated.