From Esther Akaa, Lafia
Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State has inaugurated a Liquefied Natural Gas(LNG) and Liquefied Compressed Natural Gas (LCNG) facility worth $2 million US Dollars in the state.
The project is spearheaded by Greenville LNG and it’s the first in North Central region of the country, having 23 metric tonnes capacity of LNG and 1,500 Standard Cubic Metres (SCM) of LCNG.
Sule, while laying the foundation for the construction of the facility in Lafia, Wednesday, reiterated his administration’s commitment to provide enabling environment for private businesses to thrive for the growth and development of the state.
He expressed satisfaction with the project, saying that it will to provide clean energy for the region, especially with the current fuel subsidy removal and the effect it had created on citizens of the country.
“We are indeed delighted to collaborate with Greenville liquefied natural gas as a company for being able to come earlier and set up this particular project.
” We have gone through a lot to signing of documents and agreements with NNPC about our gas projects being virtualised.
By siting this project here, it is now our dream to see that motorcycles are driven by gas in the state and what we need is to have kits that can convert the motorcycles to be using gas,” he said
He, therefore, assured the company of adequate security for the protection of the project for the good of the state.
Also speaking, the Managing Director of Greenville LNG, Ritu Sahajwalla, said that the project will further crystalise the industrialisation drive of Governor Sule as it will bring more in investment to the state.
Sahajwalla, represented by the Director of Administration of the company, Joseph Oyadoyin, added that the company will establish another facility in Karu Local Government Area ( LGA) after the completion of the first project in Lafia.
Earlier in his speech, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Nasarawa Investment and Development Agency (NASIDA), Barr. Ibrahim Abdullahi said the project will be a springboard to other businesses as it fits into the industrialisation agenda of the Nasarawa state Government.
“The partnership between the government and Greenville LNG aims to promote a virtual gas supply for businesses and individuals in Nasarawa State and by extension the North Central region of the country.
“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 project is also poised to revolutionise the transportation industry in Nasarawa State by addressing fuel shortages and enhancing gas usage and distribution within the region.
“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,” he said.
The Voice reports that the event witnessed the official handover of the CofO for the project which was facilitated by the State’s one-stop shop,NASIDA after signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Nasarawa state Government and Greenville LNG in November last year.
