Speaking during a courtesy visit to NIPCO facility, the Managing Director, NLNG Ltd, Mr. Tony Attah, described the NIPCO’S 5000 metric tonnes (MT) facility as very impressive.
According to him, “as I said to the Group Managing Director (GMD) of NIPCO, I have never in my wildest imagination believed that this kind of facility exists in Apapa here. The initial picture I have of Apapa is just a congested area.
“But coming here today, I can see that beyond the congestion, there is quite a lot of value being created here for Nigeria and indeed to just see the vantage position that NIPCO has taken being in front of at least three or four jetties and receiving both white products and LPG.
“I can see also very huge investment that NIPCO has put in to upscale the amount of LPG that they can receive into the country.
“For me, that is a real game changer and we are committed to continue to support NIPCO and indeed Nigeria to bring about the positive change in terms of energy availability for Nigeria.”
On his part, the GMD, NIPCO Plc, Mr. Venkataraman Ventakapathy, stated that the expansion of LPG skid is aimed at receiving increase product from the NLNG.
According to him, “we are really an extended arm of NLNG in ensuring adequate supplies to domestic market. We are encouraging Nigerians through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to deepen usage of LPG in the country.
“We thank the NLNG and now the NLNG can pump simultaneously in two different pipelines to PPMC and NIPCO. The recent commissioning of the new 5000MT storage facility will allow us to take large parcel sizes and increasing the turnaround of NLNG vessels.”
He said NIPCO has deliberately undertook steps aimed at growing LPG consumption by supporting households with cooking gas accessories.
“Our efforts in consumer education to increase awareness of the benefits of LPG and other forms of domestic fuel participation and sponsorship of LPG awareness programmes are aimed towards boosting domestic cooking gas consumption,” he said.
Meanwhile, the management of NLNG has said that about N150 million was invested to upgrade three jetties in Lagos to boost supply of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) otherwise called cooking gas to domestic market.
Speaking during a facility tour of some jetties in Lagos, Mr Tony Attah, Managing Director, NLNG disclosed that the company has invested over N150 million to support refurbishment and upgrading of the Petroleum Wharf Apapa (PWA), New Oil Jetty (NOJ) and Bulk Oil Platform (BOP) to increase cooking gas supply to domestic market.
He said that the management of NLNG decided to visit the facilities to take a look at the infrastructural challenges inhibiting the free flow of the product into the market.
He said that the company is committed to supply of 350,000 tonnes of cooking gas into the market, but was able to supply only 262,000 tonnes in 2016 because of some challenges.
“NLNG will refurbish some of the jetties and upgrade them so that they can have more capacity to receive and operate optimally and safely. Once product supply increases into the market it will reduce the price of cooking gas. As part of NLNG’s constant advocacy on helping to build a better Nigeria, we are focusing on supply of LPG,’’ he said.
The NLNG boss said that he stays committed to the development of Nigeria, adding that its part of the company’s vision in helping to build a better Nigeria.
“We focused on energy, bringing energy into the country; today most of it is within the domestic. But the future that we see is an industrialised aspect powered by LPG.
“In 2007, when there was a shortage of LPG in the market, NLNG intervened and we are glad to say that as a result of NLNG’s intervention volume consumed has scaled up to over 250,000 tonnes.
“And we are looking to scale the volume up more as the company has set aside 350,000 tonnes for the market,’’ he added.
According to him, In the LPG industry, we see opportunities for business and partnerships. We will upgrade the jetties and open more avenues for the product will come in.
“Today, about 400,000 of LPG in the market is used largely for domestic purposes, but we have a vision that Nigeria’s industrialisation can be underpinned by gas. Our continuous advocacy in helping to build better Nigeria, we are focusing more on supply of cooking gas,” he said.
and then