The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited has announced plans to install charging ports across its filling stations nationwide to charge electric vehicles, as part of moves to reduce carbon emission.
It also said the company would be investing in Electric Vehicles to meet local demand, as the NNPCL was currently discussing with an indigenous firm involved in this.
The Managing Director, NNPC New Energy Ltd, Kanayochukwu Odoe, disclosed this in NNPCL’s latest quarterly publication released on Monday, and obtained by our correspondent in Abuja.
NNPC New Energy Ltd is the subsidiary of NNPCL involved in the development and advancement of renewables by the national oil company.
Commenting on the plans of the oil firm in promoting the use of electric vehicles in NIgeria, Odoe said, “There are two things we are looking at. There is a start-up from Maiduguri that is into renewables and electric vehicles. It’s a Nigerian start-up.
“We are currently discussing with them to expand their capacity to meet local demand in Nigeria. It’s something I believe we should invest in not just because it’s our own, but also because they are doing something that hasn’t been done before, at least, in this part of the world. So, when we invest in the company, we can have a foothold in the electric vehicles market.
“The next part will be how to provide access to charging ports for the electric vehicles. We have NNPC Retail stations scattered around Nigeria, we are currently having a discussion on how to install charging points in the stations to serve electric vehicles. These are some of the things we are doing in that area.”
Odoe also stated that the company was currently working on a bio-diesel plant in Cross River State.
“We have signed an agreement with Kebbi State for a bio-ethanol plant. Also, we are currently in talks to transform waste into energy that can be used for electricity and cooking fuel. That way, we will reduce the felling of trees while reducing carbon emissions into the atmosphere,” he stated.
Odoe further stated that the firm was looking at embarking on solar projects to supply power to the masses, especially in areas where the services of power distribution companies were in short supply.
“We are looking particularly at disadvantaged areas where the services of the electricity distribution companies are not present. We want to bridge that gap.
“Now, when we supply solar power to those disadvantaged areas, we will charge electricity bills. That’s something different that we are bringing on board that hasn’t been done before.
“On the second aspect of policy, we are now charting a proper cause to streamline ways to meet our global obligations as stipulated in the treaties and conventions that the government has committed to,” he stated.
