Brand new vessel, MT Sahara Gas acquired by West Africa Gas Limited (WAGL), a Joint Venture (JV) between Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), and leading energy giant, Sahara Group has berthed in Lagos from its first voyage with 7,000 metric tonnes (MT) of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG).
The feat, according to experts will boost availability and safe access to the commodity widely referred to as cooking gas.
The JV is run by two companies, NNPC LNG Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of NNPC, and Sahara Energy’s oil and gas trading arm, Ocean Bed Trading Limited (BVI).
Business Hilights recalls that WAGL in January 2017, acquired two new vessels, MT Africa Gas, and MT Sahara Gas, in its bid to reduce transportation bottlenecks, add value to the Nigeria economy through exporting the commodity, deepen the LPG market in West Africa as well as enhance access to clean and safe energy.
Sahara Group chairman, Mr. Kola Adesina had in an interview recently averred that the acquisitions were also a strategic response to the lingering challenges of supply, affordability and fraudulent activities motivated by scarcity of LPG also known as cooking gas.
In his remarks, Group Managing Director of NNPC, Dr. Maikanti Baru observed that “WAGL remained committed to stabilising the market and ensuring sustainability of the commodity through strategic deliveries within the sub-region”.
“This is a historic achievement for the NNPC and Sahara Group that showcases a truly successful partnership by all global standards.
Baru noted that “The quest is to achieve uninterrupted supply of the commodity and address infrastructural limitations as we continue to implement our zero tolerance policy against adulterated products and their promoters across the nation.”
According to him, “The NNPC/Sahara Group partnership remained a model for successful JVs as both parties were considering various strategies to optimise the delivery of the product across West Africa”.
Also making reference to the new vessel, the Managing Director, Petroleum Products Marketing Company (PPMC), Umar Isa Ajiya, said “We have a brand new LPG vessel, built by 100% fully owned Nigerian entities and it has picked up LPG from Bonny and brought it to Lagos. This is the first time we are having a wholly owned shipping vessel bringing product to our shores.
This is an opportunity to grow and deepen the LPG market in Nigeria such that the use of firewood will come to an end sooner than later”.
