CNG: NASENI Portland Plans Partnership with FG to Supply Power to Hospitals

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

The Chief Executive Officer of NASENI Portland Gas, Mr. Folajimi Mohammed, has expressed the desire of the company to partner with the federal government to maintain 24-hour power supply to hospitals and primary health care centres across the country using Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)

Mohammed made the remarks when he hosted the Minister of State, Health and Social Welfare, Dr Tunji Alausa at the CNG plant of Portland Gas located in Utako, Abuja.

He said Nigeria was currently leveraging its abundant natural gas resources as a viable and economical alternative to petrol since the removal of fuel subsidy by President Bola Tinubu.

“It is crucial to understand the current CNG landscape, including its manufacturing, transportation, and sale processes, for various sectors to effectively utilise CNG as a substitute for petrol and diesel.

“This knowledge is vital for the healthcare sector to effectively transition to CNG as an alternative to petrol and diesel,” he said.

He expressed his enthusiasm over the potential impact of CNG and eco-green generators on the nation’s energy landscape, emphasising NASENI Portland’s commitment to driving sustainable and cost-effective energy solutions for Nigeria.

During the visit of the minister, Mohammed showcased how CNG powers vehicles and generators, along with insights into CNG storage, refilling, and distribution.

 The fuel-to-CNG conversion process, which takes approximately two hours and 30 minutes, was also highlighted. Additionally, the dual-fuel hybrid conversion solution was discussed, illustrating how it allows users to seamlessly switch between traditional fuel and CNG.

He said the visit by the minister affirmed CNG’s potential to be a cornerstone for future power supply solutions in Nigeria.

Meanwhile, researchers from the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) Ogbomosho, Oyo State and Federal University of Technology (FUT), Minna, Niger State have showcased their research and development (R&D) products funded by NASENI.

The presentation which took place at Technology Orientation Centre (TOC), NASENI headquarters, Abuja was witnessed by the agency’s top management led by research directors.

 It marked the culmination of a collaborative effort that began in April 2023 when NASENI signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with three professors from the universities.

The research of Prof. Abass Alade, Department of Chemical Engineering, LAUTECH, focused on: “Treatment of Aquaculture Waste Water Using Waste Banana and Plantain Stem Juice Composite Through Integrated Filtracoagulation Cascade System”.

Associate Prof., Jimoh Tijani, Department of Chemistry, Federal University of Technology, Minna, Niger State, worked on: “Development of Multi-walled Carbon Nanotubes-Iron Tungstate Composite for Industrial Wastewater Purification”.

Also, Dr. Sanusi Kolawole, Department of Pure and Applied Physics, LAUTECH, focused on: “Development of Nano-coating Green Urea Fertilizer for Agricultural Production Enhancement”.

The Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive of NASENI, Mr. Khalil Halilu represented by Research Director, Dr Samuel Olusunle, in his welcome address, appreciated the professors for making judicious use of the funds for publication of their research works and development of the products.

Speaking on behalf of his colleagues, Alade talked about key achievements of the projects such as agency-academia linkage as feasible and sustainable; facility development in the areas of acquisition of equipment and resources; and human resource development of undergraduates and postgraduates who participated in the research works.

He called for funding from NASENI to further mass-produce the products and to commercialise them thorough the tripartite relationship between NASENI, academia and private sector operators.

NASENI Research Director, Dr. Patrick Okwu who thanked the researchers for their partnership, encouraged them to include production costs in their next presentations to make the information more accessible to the general public.