NNPC begins sensitization on proposed 14MW oil palm-biodiesel scheme in C’River
Ahead of resumption of construction activities, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has commenced stakeholders’ engagement to sensitise residents of Iwure, Ojor and Osomba/Akin communities of Cross River State who will serve as hosts in the joint proposed 14 megawatts oil palm-biodiesel project in the state.
The scheme is coming on the collaboration between NNPC and the state government.
According to the Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division at NNPC, Ndu Ughamadu, “the 26,000-hectare facility was designed to accommodate an oil palm plantation co-located with biodiesel, crude palm oil co-generation plants and other facilities”.
Key details given to the communities during the sensitisation campaign by officials of the corporation’s Renewable Energy Division include informing residents of the short and long term gains of the project so as to deepen community acceptability ahead of time.
Besides, the NNPC Research and Development Division had been engaged for the conduct of Environmental and Social Impact Assessment for the projects.
NNPC disclosed that the plant will generate about 14MW of electricity from empty fruit bunches and the residue from oil palms and under the arrangement, the oil palm will be processed into fuel grade biodiesel and industrial crude palm oil as by-products, Ughamadu explained.
He said the biodiesel would be blended with diesel in a mix of 20 per cent biodiesel and 80 per cent diesel, and sold as B20 in the domestic market, adding that any unutilised biodiesel quantity would be exported to the international market.
Business Hilights gathered that the biofuel project with the Cross River State Government was in tandem with NNPC’s drive to develop biofuels in Nigeria through partnerships with core investors and create a low carbon economy that would link the oil and gas industry with the agricultural sector.
