The Minister of Transportation, Said Alkali, has launched an initiative to transition Nigerian Railway Corporation locomotives from diesel to liquefied natural gas (LNG) and compressed natural gas (CNG). This move is aimed at steering the corporation towards sustainable energy sources and reducing operational costs. The announcement was made in a statement signed by the ministry’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Olujimi Oyetomi, on Thursday.
Alkali emphasized President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration's commitment to providing efficient, affordable, and sustainable transportation, particularly following the recent removal of fuel subsidies. The De-Sadel consortium presented the LNG-CNG alternative for joint deliberation by the Ministry of Transportation and the NRC on Tuesday, March 12, 2024.
To expedite the transition, Alkali directed the immediate formation of a seven-member technical committee tasked with evaluating the feasibility and potential outcomes of retrofitting NRC’s locomotives with LNG-CNG technology. The committee was given a timeframe of seven to 14 days to produce recommendations.
The proposal by De-Sadel Company to retrofit their existing LNG-CNG kits onto NRC’s locomotives at zero cost to the government found favor with Alkali. He instructed the Permanent Secretary, Olufemi Oloruntola, to assemble a joint team of mechanical engineers from the Transportation Ministry, NRC, and De-Sadel Consortium to proceed with retrofitting an NRC locomotive.
