A Dutch energy business, Energy Ventures B.V., has initiated processes to eliminate gas flaring in portions of Rivers State and convert the accompanying gas to power and Liquefied Petroleum Gas, LPG.
The project would initially target around five million standard cubic feet of gas being flared daily at Agbada 2 in Rivers State, stated the business, reports Vanguard.
The Chief Executive Officer, Energy Ventures, Herbert Okibe, made this known today during an inspection of the project site and visit to the offices of Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company, PHEDC.
Okibe, who was accompanied by Chief Financial Officer of the company, Govert Rietema and Chief Commercial Officer Yvonne te Wierik-Chioke, said the project is to convert the gas to power or Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) for the users in the neighbouring areas.
We are aiming to turn waste gas into sustainable energy for customers that have been underserved in these locations’, he added.
Energy Ventures’ Nigerian subsidiary, Africa Gas Technology Company Limited, is developing the Agbada project, which is anticipated to be a pilot for similar projects in Nigeria and other gas-flaring areas worldwide. Download Interactive Maps
Gas had been flared in the Agbada area for over six decades with attendant environmental and public health implications, Okibe said.
“This has been bubbling up in this region for more than 60 years. 60 years of contaminating the environment, illnesses and respiratory difficulties. ‘What we are doing is a little step to rectifying that,’ he said.
Okibe said Nigeria had more than 100 sites where large volumes of gas were being flared, and stated the situation was part of a bigger worldwide issue.
“This problem is not unique to Nigeria. “In fact, it is the seventh largest gas flaring country,” he remarked.
electricity Ventures hopes the Agbada project will show the technological and economic feasibility of transforming flare gas into useable electricity, he added.
And we expect that this first project will be a pilot example to show the economic and technical viability of it.” “This is just the beginning and it will be the first of many projects, not only in Nigeria but the world over,” he stated. Download Interactive Maps
The project, which is expected to cost tens of millions of dollars, is being financed with a combination of corporate and public sector funds, including the Dutch Government and the Nigerian Government through the Midstream and Downstream Gas Infrastructure Fund.
Okibe complimented the Federal Government for its efforts in curbing gas flaring through the introduction of regulatory measures and the enactment of the Petroleum Industry Act.
He said the project has been granted the go for its Environmental Impact Assessment by the Federal Ministry of Environment and also secured regulatory permissions from relevant midstream and downstream authorities.
He said the visit to PHEDC was to advance the electricity-distribution side of the project.
“With our visit today to PHED, we have gotten green light from the board to engage the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission to get the permit to go ahead with the project,” he said.
On the construction progress, Okibe stated the preparatory work had began included fencing off of the project site, while full construction would start after getting the required construction permission.
He acknowledged that the project had regulatory, contractual and commercial issues, notably in relation to the proposed provision of electricity to communities that have traditionally suffered from unstable power supply.
“There are always challenges with projects like this. There are a lot of agencies to go through and a lot of contracts to put in place.
“We are not ignoring the challenges. “The good thing is we are getting support not only from the government but also from the host communities,” he said.
The project is expected to convert gas that is now regarded as trash to electricity and LPG while lowering the environmental effect associated with long-term gas flaring in the host communities.
About the Author
