The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has engaged petroleum products marketers on the sale of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) and Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) for fueling power generating plants and vehicles respectively.
A source, who sought anonymity, told newsmen at the weekend that “the head of the gas subsector of the NNPC is hosting us (petrol retail stations) owners in Lagos. They want us to be selling LPG and CNG for generators and vehicles in our petrol stations. ”
The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva had on assumption of office promised to provide an alternative to the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) petrol for poor Nigerians.
His estimate was that the CNG is N97 per litre.
Uprising against the September petrol pump price further spurred the Federal Government to announce its plans for calibrating vehicles and power generating plants for gas fueling free of charge in October.
On Thursday, he carried out the inspection of the Autogas Dispensing Station and conversion exercise in Abuja.
It was also in line with the promise of intensifying efforts to provide Nigerians with Autogas to temper the effects of rising PMS costs in line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s commitment to ushering in the epoch of gas as a better fuel for Nigerians.
The Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA), Executive Secretary, Abdulkadir Saidu, in a statement, said the Autogas Dispensing Station and Conversion Inspection Exercise took place at the NNPC Autogas Dispensing facility, Jahi, and Autolady Garage in Abuja, where some government official vehicles were being converted.
The minister, according to him, expressed his satisfaction with the conversion process thus far, and charged conversion centers to make vehicle and user safety a priority during the process. He added that his vehicles and some in the President’s fleet would soon be converted as well.