Long queues of cars are a common sight at petrol stations across Nigeria, but for some drivers turning to compressed natural gas, pumps are becoming a thing of the past.
A fivefold increase in petrol prices since the rollback of fuel subsidies last year has convinced them to make the switch to CNG, which is much cheaper and far kinder to the environment.
At the NIPCO Plc station on the outskirts of Abuja, the capital, businesses are also brisk about retrofitting cars to run on compressed gas. It’s built a dedicated workshop, where mechanics install the cylinders and inject systems to make the switch.
“We are booked until the end of January at least,” said Chris Uche, the technician in charge. “There are so many cars waiting to be converted.”
The CNG shift reflects a push by Africa’s top oil producer to ease its reliance on crude by promoting investment in the country’s largely unexploited 200 trillion cubic feet of proven gas reserves, most of which are burned off or re-injected into wells.
Incentives are being offered to gas companies, tariffs and taxes have been waived on CNG equipment, taxis, and other commercial drivers can get discounts, and a 10 billion naira ($6 million) credit facility has been set up for private car owners to take the plunge.
The “mission is to enhance Nigeria’s energy security, lower transportation costs, and reduce carbon emissions,” said Toyin Subair, vice-chairman of a presidential committee on CNG, which has set a goal of converting 1 million vehicles by 2027.
The country is on track to meet its initial goal of 100,000 commercial vehicles by the end of 2024, he said, “bringing substantial cost savings to transporters, reducing public transport fares for Nigerians, and advancing Nigeria’s clean energy objectives.”
While that’s a modest goal given Nigeria’s 12 million vehicles, and low when compared to Egypt’s 500,000 CNG cars, it signifies the nation’s clean energy ambitions.
The conversion involves installing a high-pressure gas tank and fuel lines, a pressure regulator, and injectors. When CNG is injected into the engine, it is ignited by the car’s spark plugs, similar to how gasoline is burned in a conventional engine.
Vehicles driven for rideshare platforms Uber and Bolt, distinctive in their elderly Toyota Corollas, Honda Civics, and Peugeot 206s, have been keen customers. Their cars are now being retrofitted to run on CNG, which retails for 230 naira per liter, one-fifth of the price of petrol. Some drivers have seen profits surge more than 400% a month.
“The only disadvantage it has cost me is the space in the boot. Passengers with luggage have proved to be an issue,” said Bolt driver Clement Sunday, whose gold-colored 2002 Peugeot 206 runs on both petrol and CNG. Also, it “doesn’t drive as fast because gas burns slowly, but the oil is cleaner, the smokes are gone. This is a cleaner option,” he said.
The bulky yellow gas cylinder in his boot takes up a third of the space but can power the car for 150 kilometers (93 miles) on a single 3,500 naira fill.
Sunday spent 800,000 naira to modify the car, an amount that was a third less than the starting price thanks to the government subsidy, and says he has since recovered the investment in full.
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