GASping for survival

Following the hike in pump price of petrol, many Nigerians have now found an alternative in cooking gas to power their generators for their businesses, others. IFEDAYO OGUNYEMI reports;

Up until May 29, 2023 when premium motor spirit (PMS), otherwise known as petrol was sold for N195 per litre, Mrs Bukola Oladele, spends N4,000 on petrol daily to power her generator. The generator is used to pump water and power other machinery needed for operation on her poultry farm.

The huge need for water was to flush chicken wastes in order to reduce air pollution. The sequestered waste is kept for conversion into fish feed and other uses.

As a result of the erratic supply of electricity, workers on the farm, which is located in Ibadan, Oyo State, depend largely on the electricity supplied by the generator that runs for close to eight hours daily. This invariably means she expends N28,000 on petrol weekly and about N120,000 or more in 30 days.

This was her situation at a time the patronage of poultry business dropped significantly nationwide as a result of the cash scarcity that greeted the country in the early months of 2023.

The situation grew worse after the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) announced that petrol would only sell for N537/litre and later N617/litre following the removal of oil subsidies.

With the new realisation, Mrs Oladele now spends N8,000 per day as N4,000 worth of fuel can no longer serve her needs at the farm. This significantly affects her capabilities to power on the generator for the required number of hours daily.

She told Sunday Tribune she spent about N56,000 weekly on petrol to power her generator on the farm. By that estimate, she was spending N240,000 on petrol every month until she converted her generator to be able to also use Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) as fuel.

Since the converison, Mrs Oladele now rations 12.5 kilogrammes of gas to power her generator in a week. Filling the 12.5kg gas cylinder only costs her around N7,500.

At this rate, she disclosed that compared with petrol the cost of running generator on gas in her farm had reduced drastically.

The conversion has also helped Maxwell, a baker at Egbeda Market in Lagos State spend less on the cost of production. The 8KVA generator that supplies electricity for the small bakery he manages roughly consumes a kilogramme of gas per hour.

According to him, “before the conversion, I spend N6,000 everyday on fuel but now I spend N3,000 on gas daily. We run generator for about six hours daily because there is no light connected to the market here.”

He explained that he got the dual carburettor for N25,000 while his engineer used it to replace the old carburettor. He further stated that with the conversion which allows him to use gas, he spends less on petrol for the daily needs at the bakery.

“The consumption is dependent on the type of generator you are using. A bigger generator like mine consumes more than the smaller generators,” Maxwell disclosed further.

This is the situation with many small and medium scale enterprises today which depend on functional and stable supply of electricity. And for many years and even to date, many businesses in Nigeria have depended on generators to cover the deficits provided by the country’s power generating agency and affiliates.

This same scenario plays out in many homes where there’s erratic supply of electricity as frequently experienced in Nigeria. According to the Energy Progress Report 2022 produced in conjunction with the International Energy Agency, International Renewable Energy Agency, United Nations Statistics Division, the World Bank and the World Health Organisation, over 90 million Nigerians lack adequate supply of electricity.

Generating electricity for all in a population of over 200 million people seems to be a tall order for a country that currently generates 5,500 megawatts of electricity out of over 13,000MW generation capacity.

The hope the average Nigerian hangs on to when depending on generators was threatened following the hike in pump price of petrol. As of today, the pump price of PMS in many states is not less than N600 per litre as against N165 in June 2021 going by data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and N195 in May 2023.

The 216 per cent increase recorded between May and July 2023 was due to the fuel scarcity experienced in early 2023 and the removal of petrol subsidy by President Bola Tinubu when he assumed office on May 29, 2023.

Rather than usher Nigerians to a season of bliss as many expected of the new administration, the removal of fuel subsidy dealt them a big blow as witnessed in the skyrocketing transportation and subsistence cost.

Daily consumption of petrol drops to 48.43 million litres

Another major aspect of life that was negatively affected was the volume of petrol consumed nationwide. Between the pre-deregulation period covering January 1 and May 28, 2023, Nigerians consumed an average of 66.9 million litres daily, totalling about 9.9 billion litres. Upon deregulation, the daily consumption dropped to 48.43 million litres daily between June 1 and June 28. In the same period, the total petrol consumption recorded by Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) was 1.36 billion litres.

Many analysts hinged the drop in consumption rate on the high cost of petrol which has made many Nigerians unable to afford it for personal and business uses. The development further increased the production cost of many goods and services for those who can afford to buy petrol at that high rate. This invariably affects the unit cost of sale of any product to be sold.

Average Nigerian uses 5.1kg of LPG — NNPC

Following the huge cost of operating petrol-powered generator, many Nigerias are opting for LPG-powered generators.

LPG also called cooking or cylinder gas is a colourless gas used for clean-cooking, heating and lightning. Checks by Sunday Tribune show that LPG contains either propane, butane, or a mixture of the both gases and has commercial and residential uses. Though odourless, a special kind of odour is intentionally added to easily detect a potential leak.

Group Chief Executive Officer of Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, while speaking at the Nigerian Liquefied Petroleum Gas Association (NLPGA) and the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) 15th DLPG Supply Scheme Anniversary held in 2022, disclosed that the country has a per capita consumption of 5.1 kilogrammes of LPG.

Though there’s been significant improvement in the consumption rate of LPG from 250,000 metric tonnes in 2015 to about 1.3 million metric tonnes in 2021, Kyari said the figure ranks among the lowest in sub-Saharan Africa.

Though industry players have continued to bemoan the infrastructure deficit and distribution costs, among others that hinder effective LPG supply in the country, the transition from petrol to gas-fuelled generator may be the saving grace for many enterprises and working class homes in Nigeria.

It was no wonder that many short video clips of working gas-fuelled generators circulated the internet in the days following the announcement of hike in cost of petrol. Many engineers also took to Twitter to promote the idea for many seeking quick and efficient solutions to the exorbitant cost of operating generating sets with petrol.

Explaining what it entails, an engineer attached to a mechanical appliances outlet inside the popular Ogunpa market in Ibadan powered withba generator using gas, explained that such generators do not emit carbon unlike the ones powered with petrol.

“The engine wouldn’t require frequent servicing and other repairs. Gas is not like petrol that wets the engine plug and since it is not wet, there’s no way it will produce carbon.

“For the carburettor with dual supply, you can switch from the gas supply to the petrol supply if you’re tired of using gas,” the attendant explained.

Dual-combustion carburettor sells between N15,000 and N22,000

Findings by Sunday Tribune at the generator section of the market showed a surge in sales. Many Nigerians are rushing to buy the dual-combustion carburettors that are suitable for their generators.

Though the cost of the carburettor differs from one outlet to another, one recurring statement was that the device was sold for around N5,000 when it first entered the market a couple of years ago. The prices this time, however, have skyrocketed.

While the attendant told Sunday Tribune that the cost of the carburettor that can power a 2.5KVA generator is around N18,000, another mechanical appliances dealer at the market, Oluwaseun Ayeni, explained that the same device costs N15,000, adding that the higher version of the device costs N22,000.

According to him, the gas-powered generator doesn’t consume fuel as much as the petrol-powered generator.

Another dealer at the market, who identified himself as Joseph and also claimed to be a technician, confirmed that business had indeed been very good for them. He disclosed that he had sold over 50 carburettors in the past week and was confident that more Nigerians would still come to patronise him and other dealers.

“We have roughly sold more than 200 in the last one month because many people are coming to buy it most especially due to the high cost of petrol.

“We have been selling it for about five years now, but people weren’t really buying into the idea unlike now. Just a few people bought it then because fuel was cheaper and gas was higher. We sold it for N6,000 then but now, it is about N14,000 to N15,000 because of the demand.”

Generators at a mechanical workshop at Ogunpa market in Ibadan

Avoiding fuelling disaster?

When asked about instances that could cause an explosion when using the gas-powered generator, Ayeni warned against carelessness on the part of the operators, as only that could cause the generator to explode.

“There is no way you won’t know if the hose disconnects, because the generator will go off if that happens,” he explained further. “And if the generator stops working, the user will be prompted to check out what has gone wrong with the generator. To an extent, that gives the user an assurance to use it without fear.”

A mechanical engineer based in Sagamu, Ogun State, Bolaji Fadipe, told Sunday Tribune that the conversion will ultimately have adverse effects on the engine of the generator after a couple of years, noting that many people who are using it now are only looking at it from the money they save when using gas compared to when using petrol.

“Many people don’t know the advantages of a petrol-powered generator. If you buy a new generator, it ought to last up to five years, but when you start to ring it, and you start to change the oil, it won’t last more than two years. The pressure from gas is higher than the pressure from petrol,” he disclosed.

When asked how gas-powered supply affects the engine, Fadipe said: “It shortens the oil quickly, and when that happens, you have to ring it. Ringing generator engines doesn’t even make it last because the pressure of gas is high.

“I won’t say people should not use it. As long as they can afford it, they can,” he said.

Another area of concern is how easy it will be for those who move their generators inside the house when not in use.

“They will have to take the cylinder with the generator every time, except they can get a place to keep the cylinder that will be close to where they operate the generator. You can’t keep the cylinder inside the house. The hose can also burst and if people do not take care, it can cause a fire outbreak,” he warned.

Disagreeing with Fadipe’s claims, Taiwo, another technician, told Sunday Tribune that the generator is safe for domestic use provided the gas cylinder is located far away from the generator.

“The manufacturers of generators have done a perfect job. It won’t cause a fire outbreak because the exhaust pipe and the engine are not on the same side of the generator. One major thing that causes a generator explosion is when petrol spills on the exhaust.

“When using it, one must ensure that the gas cylinder is far away from where the generator will be. This is because even if the generator compartment heats up, it will be far from where the gas cylinder itself is. You don’t put them together, even if it’s in the open. If you do that, it won’t catch fire,” he warned.

Speaking on the durability of the gas-powered generator, Taiwo said “it will last longer than expected.”

“Sometimes the petrol we buy is diluted with water and it’s also dirty, which will affect the carburettor and every other channel the petrol passes through. But gas doesn’t have all those complications, so it will last.”

Speaking further, he said: “What can spoil the engine is its oil. Once the engine is not oil-starved, then there’s no cause for alarm. The carburettor doesn’t have anything to do with the engine, so there’s no way the carburettor can spoil the engine. Their functions are different.”

Like Taiwo, Joseph did not mince words discussing the likely danger using LPG in generator may cause.

“There’s risk in everything,” he explained. “So one has to be careful of using it.”

Speaking generally, he said: “To use it safely, one has to use an original hose. One has to be extra careful, especially where the children are. Even when it comes to petrol, one has to be careful. When fire comes in contact with fuel, the generator can explode. So, one just has to be careful.”

Presented with the claim that the conversion will have adverse effects on the lifespan of the generator, Joseph said the same mechanical issues encountered by a petrol-powered generator are encountered by a gas-powered generator.

“The same thing applies to both types of generators. A lot of people are rushing to buy it. With time, we may begin to discover the faults it can develop, but for now, those using it are not complaining apart from the normal servicing that one needs to carry out, changing the oil and every other necessary thing,” Joseph added.

‘More data still need to be gathered to ascertain durability over petrol-powered generators’

Commenting on the newfound trend, Professor of Materials and Production Engineering at the Ladoke Akintola University (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, Oyo State, Professor Tesleem Asafa, told Sunday Tribune over the phone that the transition was expected because Nigerians must survive, adding that it is also expected that many more people will go in that direction.

“What we have now is a dual carburettor that is designed to use petrol and LPG. The process of combustion is similar for both fuel sources. LPG is about 50 per cent or less when compared to the price of PMS. It’s also a clean energy unlike petrol which is an hydrocarbon energy that eventually causes soot that we see as the end product.

“LPG is produced in Nigeria. We have an abundance of it and it isn’t largely affected by the exchange rate fluctuations and the removal of oil subsidies that lead to the huge increase in petroleum price. It also does not make the generator as noisy like the petroleum generators,” Prof Asafa explained.

Speaking on the safety of using gas-powered generators, he listed a retinue of safety measures to be taken into cognisance by users of gas-powered generators.

According to him: “Roughly about nine million households use LPG as a source of energy and there’s only been little reported cases of explosion in those homes. About 10 years ago, people were afraid of using it in homes. That data is even an understatement because you can hardly see a working class home that doesn’t use it.

“However, there are so many things associated with the conversion process. The standard of the carburettor matters. In Nigeria, we don’t really stick to quality processes . People can take advantage of the lacuna in the system to produce carburettors that are substandard which won’t do the correct job. And when you have gas leakage, it can cause an explosion.

“The installation must be done by trained professionals. If not done properly, it can endanger the lives of the user. The cylinder must not be placed in open space under the sun or rain which can cause it to corrode. Gas cylinders expire and one must take that into cognisance. The pipe connecting the gas to the carburettor must not leak.

“If all these measures are properly adhered to, I think the transition to gas as an energy source will be good for us because we are switching to a cleaner energy and we are reducing the environmental impact.”

On the frequency of mechanical issues arising from the use of gas-powered generators, he stated that more data still needs to be gathered to ascertain that.

“Gas is cleaner than petrol and it is expected that the engine of a gas-powered generator will last longer but I think we still need to wait for some time. Petrol-based combustion pollutes the engine oil which is unlikely in gas combustion. We need to power both generators in the same condition and monitor over time to be able to arrive at a conclusion,” he said.