Geneva based Powergas International Limited (PIL) is talking up plans to wheel natural gas around to manufacturing companies in Nigeria, where a substantial gap exists between the huge subsurface size of the resource and the electricity plants which need it. That gap results in undersupply of electric power and the continent’s most severe energy crisis.
Africa’s largest economy holds 187 Trillion cubic feet of gas in the ground, but the volume that is available for power plants and industries is around 1Billion cubic feet a day, not enough to fuel over half of the country’s 20 gas fired power plants. Challenges include lack of a gas pipeline grid and inadequate capacity for processing raw gas into dry methane for electricity.
The effect is that many factories do not receive electricity from the power utility companies for several hours a day and they are then forced to use diesel generators.
Powergas Africa Ltd, a subsidiary of PIL says it can supply natural to areas not connected by pipeline. The model is a form of “Virtual Gas Pipeline”. “The Company’s “Gas on Wheels” service is providing firms with a real alternative to dirty and expensive diesel fuel, offering the region’s manufacturing sector a new lease of life”, the company says in a statement.
Deepak Khilnani, Powergas Africa’s Chief Executive, says “the need for the adoption of Gas to Power Solutions by manufacturers in Nigeria is inevitable, because energy costs is a major challenge faced by most manufacturing companies today.
“Powergas is dedicated to fill in with its novel “Virtual Gas Pipeline” Solution in the form of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) or Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG). This not only optimizes production & increases efficiency for the manufacturers, but also ensures reliability and adequate supply, “
The company says it is “positioned to address every aspect of Client’s energy requirements, right from initial analysis of Plant Operations, to Engineering & Design, Procurement, and Project Implementation”.
