Independent marketers to commence CNG sales – Official

Members of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria have disclosed they are in talks with the Federal Government to commence the sale of compressed natural gas in their filling stations.

The National Vice President of IPMAN, Hammed Fashola, in an exclusive interview with The According on Tuesday, said marketers’ existing filling stations would serve as CNG refilling points to hasten the adoption of gas in the country.

With the removal of fuel subsidy, the Federal Government have been making efforts to invest in gas as a cheaper and cleaner alternative to petrol and diesel.

However, the unavailability of CNG stations has been a major hindrance to the Tinubu gas initiative.

He noted that independent marketers had met with the Federal Government to fine-tune ways of making the product available across Nigeria.

IPMAN boasts over 80 per cent of the filling stations across the nooks and crannies of the country.

He stated that many independent marketers already sell liquefied petroleum gas, also known as cooking gas, in their stations, saying CNG was the next target.

He said trucks would be converted from diesel to CNG-powered engines, while kits would also be available.

“Most of our members are into LPG already. You see scales in their stations for the sale of domestic gas.

“Now we are looking at CNG. We are talking with the government; we want to partner with the government on that. It is very easy for us. We already have the facility; we have the filling stations. It is just to add up, and then we are good to go.

“And if we have CNG, it is an alternative to petrol and diesel. It will be cheaper, and people will have an option. That is why we said let’s go for CNG,” he stated.

According to Fashola, IPMAN members want to be selling CNG and kits as they currently sell petrol at their filling stations.

“When you enter a filling station, you can go for whatever you want, either petrol or CNG,” he averred.

On the high cost of transporting the product and the need for pipelines, he said seminars were being held on how to make the distribution process seamless.

“We had a seminar with a consultant, who explained to us that the process would be easier. They want to break it down just like we have our petrol depots. There will be smaller depots to service various CNG stations.

“Though we have not finalised it, the way they explained it, it is doable and possible. And we will be getting the product directly from the source. It won’t be like petrol where we rely on third parties to get fuel,” he explained.