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Techno to build N3b gas cylinder manufacturing plant in Lagos

By Sulaimon Salau
28 July 2015   |   11:31 pm
Techno Oil Limited has unfolded plans to build a N3 billion gas cylinder manufacturing plant in Lekki area of Lagos State, to ensure full gas utilisation in the country, The proposed structure of the Liquefied Petroleum Gas (cooking gas) cylinder manufacturing plant, unveiled in Lagos recently, indicated that it would have capacity to produce five…
Gas storgae

Gas storgae

Techno Oil Limited has unfolded plans to build a N3 billion gas cylinder manufacturing plant in Lekki area of Lagos State, to ensure full gas utilisation in the country,

The proposed structure of the Liquefied Petroleum Gas (cooking gas) cylinder manufacturing plant, unveiled in Lagos recently, indicated that it would have capacity to produce five million units of cylinders yearly.

The construction of the plant, which is expected to offer about 1,000 jobs to Nigerians has since commenced at Lekki, Lagos and expected to roll out its first batch of cylinders in the next 90 days.

The Executive Vice-Chairman, Techno Oil, Mrs. Nkechi Obi, unveiling the project in Lagos, said that the plant was being constructed in partnership with an European firm, which has built similar plants in over 15 African and Asian countries.

According to her, Techno Oil embarked on the project as part of its contributions to the Federal Government’s agenda of encouraging more Nigerians to embrace the usage of LPG which is clean, safe and affordable.

Noting that although the use of cooking gas had increased by about 36.8 per cent in Nigeria in the past three years, she said over 80 per cent of households still relied on kerosene, firewood and other dangerous energy sources.

Obi expressed concerns that Nigeria, with a population of over 170 million people, has less than one million cooking gas cylinders in circulation, hence the need for the company to embark on such initiative.

“The huge capital expended on the importation of LPG cylinders yearly is a monumental loss to this country.  With the completion of this project, Nigeria will curb this huge capital flight, which is estimated at about N5 billion and further reduce the depletion of our foreign reserve,” she said.

“This gap is what Techno Oil has positioned itself to provide solution to by making sure that high quality LPG cylinders are produced locally.

“The plant will be completed by November this year. We have the capacity to cater for the need of the Nigerian/West African populace. Hence, we do not foresee any organization importing cylinders in the nearest future.

The Techno Oil LPG manufacturing plant, according to her would also help to save the huge kerosene subsidy estimated at over N150 billion yearly.

She however added that the machines fabrication and construction of the plant are currently being monitored in strict compliance to regulatory standards as stipulated by Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON), Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) and Cotechna, among others.

However, Obi said there was need to exploit Nigeria’s huge gas reserve, estimated at about 187t trillion cubic feet.

Obi, who received Federal Government’s commendation few years ago for the `Going Green’ initiative of her company’s effort in popularizing cooking gas, said she was looking forward to when most Nigerian households would embrace the use LPG and reduce danger to our women.

“Why must we continue to decimate our women population and keep pretending as if nothing is happening?”

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