The Nigeria Energy Dialogue (NED) has partnered with the Federal Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation to unveil the Methanol Fuel Production Technology.
The Executive Director of NED, Frank Edozie said this at the on-going 2023 Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation Expo on Tuesday in Abuja.
Edozie, who said the partnership was a revolution simplified by technology, said it would also drive Nigeria’s vision for a clean, safe and available energy.
He said methanol is a transportable energy that can be used to power industries, rural electrification and household energy with a multiplier effect on the economy through job creation.
“We will get our people to work as many people need accessible energy. The beauty of it is, we are talking about technology that is there.
“We will build on Brass Methanol and numerous methanol projects across the country.
“We don’t see this as an alternative; it will eventually become the main source of energy because it is green and accessible. The more it is deployed, the cheaper it becomes until it gets a better current cost of energy,” he said.
Edozie said the technology converts gas methanol to hydrogen fuel cells for multiple uses across the energy space in Nigeria.
This comes at a time Nigeria was almost completing the construction of Brass Methanol plant, in partnership with Sun Hydro Energy Limited, and Clean Energy Resources.
Methanol is a transportable energy that can be used to power industries, rural electrification and household energy with a multiplier effect on the economy through job creation.
Methanol technology
Also speaking, Director, Implementation of Methanol Value Chain in Nigeria, Dr Peter Ekweozoh, said the methanol fuel technology implementation would assist Nigeria achieve its obligation under the Paris Agreement.
Ekweozoh said the project would reduce global warming in various sectors of the economy by reducing hydrocarbon emission footprints.
“This technology will help to improve our transportation system, because we are going to use hydrogen fuel cells or methanol which has low carbon footprints to drive vehicles when fully adopted by Nigerians,” he said.
He said about 40 million jobs would be generated in two years from the methanol production value chain, and would also generate cheap quality affordable clean and trusted energy to power the rural areas in Nigeria.
Programme Director for NED, Dr Offiong Archibong Anyanwu, said the project would create a platform for stakeholders in the energy sector to ensure that net zero was achieved.
“The objective of this partnership is to sustain focus on the momentum that has been made on methanol in Nigeria, and this will ensure cleaner source of fuel for cars, household applications and industries,” she said.
Anyanwu added that methanol is the future of energy, and was already in use across the system and since technology is not static, it is imperative that the current government builds on the momentum of methanol hence the slogan: BOOMM.
The Chief Executive Officer, Association of Power Generating Companies in Nigeria, Dr. Joy Ogaji, expressed confidence in the revolutionary move to possible cheaper fuel to power generation companies in the country.
She said if methanol is properly packaged and implemented, power generation companies can have better access to cheaper fuel, and boost net-zero aspirations by 2060. (NAN)
