The Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Maikanti Baru, on Thursday inaugurated a $60m Egbeoma gas processing plant in Ebedei Community, Ukwuani Local Government Area of Delta State.
At the inauguration ceremony, Baru said the NNPC was committed to pursuing the Federal Government’s aspiration of aggressively deploying the nation’s vast gas resources for economic growth.
He was quoted in a statement issued in Abuja by the corporation’s Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Ndu Ughamadu, as saying, “The NNPC is committed to the Federal Government’s aspirations as expressed in the gas policy, environmental policy and domestic gas utilisation policy.”
Baru congratulated PNG Gas Limited, operators of the Egbeoma Gas Plant, and noted that the development fitted squarely into the Federal Government’s gas aspiration of using gas as an enabler for energy independence, industrial development, commerce and environmental and social sustainability.
He described the achievement as a no mean feat, adding that the conceptualization and actualization of the gas plant project dream had reinforced NNPC’s confidence in the potential of Nigerian indigenous companies.
Baru urged operators whose assets were close to the plant and the OB3 pipeline to seize the opportunity by collaborating with PNG Gas Limited to supply gas to maximize the plant’s capacity, access and commercialize all existing flares.
“I see this initiative as the beginning of an end to the last mile of gas flaring in Nigeria. This plant is a hallmark of Nigerian engineering prowess and local content capacity,” he added.
The promoter of the Egbeoma Gas Plant project, Charles Osezua, said the plant represented the success story of Nigerian engineering.
“Our dream is to help realize the Federal Government’s drive of building a gas hub in this area by processing 150mmscfd of gas which will not only generate power but also support the growth of the nation’s economy,” Osezua stated.
He said the NNPC had a major role to play in galvanizing and bringing together the nation’s gas producers with a view to creating a gas hub in the country.
He noted that since inception in 2016, the plant had been running at 97 per cent of installed capacity with a safety record of about 1.5million man-hours of operation without loss time injury.
