By Mustapha Adamu, Kano
The Federal Government has commissioned two Liquefied Compressed Natural Gas (LCNG) stations in Kano State to expand access to cleaner energy and reduce transportation costs.
The facilities, established by Rolling Energy Limited with support from the Midstream and Downstream Gas Infrastructure Fund (MDGIF), are located at Tamburawa in Dawakin Kudu Local Government Area and Hotoro in Tarauni LGA.
The Tamburawa facility has a capacity of 300,000 standard cubic metres per day, while the Hotoro daughter and retail station has a capacity of 21,000 standard cubic metres per day.
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony on Tuesday, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, said the projects aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda to make Nigeria’s abundant gas resources more accessible and affordable.
He said the facilities would strengthen domestic gas distribution, provide cleaner energy alternatives, support businesses and transportation, and create employment opportunities.
According to Ekpo, the Tamburawa hub would provide LNG storage, regasification and CNG distribution services, including supplies to daughter stations, while the retail outlets would improve access for consumers.
He also commended the MDGIF for supporting private-sector investment in critical gas infrastructure, stressing the need to translate government policies into projects that directly benefit Nigerians.
Also speaking, the Executive Chairman of the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas and Electric Vehicles, Ismail Ahmed, represented by his Special Adviser on Technical Training and Capacity Building, Omoh Imoukhede, described the commissioning as another milestone in Nigeria’s gas infrastructure development.
He said Kano’s large transport and commercial sectors made it strategic to the country’s transition to cleaner and more affordable energy.
Ahmed emphasised that expanding vehicle conversion to CNG must be accompanied by reliable refuelling facilities, adding that affordability, availability and safety remained essential to the programme’s success.
The Kano State Commissioner for Power and Renewable Energy, Gaddafi Shehu Sani, who represented Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, assured investors of the state government’s support for gas infrastructure development.
He noted that increasing demand from CNG-powered vehicles had placed pressure on existing facilities, making additional investments necessary.
Sani described Kano’s population, commercial activities and connections with neighbouring states and West African countries as major opportunities for investment in the gas sector.
In his remarks, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Rolling Energy Limited, Mubarak Umar Dambatta, said the company commissioned its first daughter booster station in May 2023.
He added that the company had subsequently expanded its operations to Abuja and Ilorin, Kwara State, with plans to establish more stations in Jigawa, Borno and other states.
The latest projects are expected to strengthen gas distribution networks and support the Federal Government’s drive to promote cleaner and more affordable energy across Nigeria.
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