NLNG Prize for Science: Trio bags $100,000 for innovative work

Three people have been selected as winners of the $100,000 Nigeria Prize for Science 2024 organized by Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Ltd. (NLNG).

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The Chairperson of the advisory board for the prize, Prof. Barth Nnaji, announced this at a news conference in Lagos on Monday.

He said that Eni Oko, Olajide Otitoju and Meihong Wang won the 2024 edition with their innovative work on carbon capture.

Their work has the title, “Process Intensification Technology for Greenhouse Emission Control in Power Generation and Industry for Sustainable Fuel Production (PIC-FUEL).”

The theme of the prize for the 2024 edition is: “Innovations and Technologies for Reducing the Effect of Climate Change.”

Nnaji said that the panel of judges for the Nigeria Prize for Science received 153 entries from scientists worldwide for the 2024 edition.

According to him, the theme of the prize underscores the need for urgent solutions to environmental challenges.

He said the innovation by the trio could significantly reduce harmful emissions from power plants and factories while creating cleaner and greener fuels.

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Speaking on the winners, he said: “Eni Oko is a Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) in Chemical Engineering at Newcastle University, U.K while Olajide Otitoju is a Research Associate at the University of Sheffield, U.K.

“The third person, Meihong Wang, is a Professor of Process and Energy Systems Engineering, specializing in Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) at the University of Sheffield, UK.

“Prof. Wang is winning the Prize for the second time after his 2019 win with Dr Mathew Aneke.

“Their work was on Carbon Capture, Carbon Utilization, Biomass Gasification and Energy Storage for Power Generation,” Nnaji said.

Explaining the significance of the groundbreaking work by the three scientists, Nnaji noted that the PIC-FUEL technology worked by capturing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions directly from industrial sources.

He said that the industry sources included power plants, cement factories, and refineries.

Nnaji said the emissions were passed through a unit called the Rotating Packed Bed (RPB), where CO2 was absorbed using a solvent.

He noted that the absorbed CO2 was then converted into methanol through a reaction with hydrogen in an electrolyze machine.

He explained that the methanol produced could be directly blended with diesel or sold as a product.

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“Imagine, if every time a factory or power plant releases CO2, instead of harmful gases escaping into the atmosphere, those gases are captured, transformed, and repurposed into cleaner, more sustainable fuels.

“That is exactly what PIC-FUEL does. This revolutionary approach can cut emissions by 40 per cent, significantly reducing Nigeria’s carbon footprint.

“And it can help the country achieve its 2060 net-zero goals without expensive government subsidies,” he said.

Nnaji said that the PIC-FUEL implementation would fully decarbonize the Nigerian power and industrial sectors.

He added that it would also deliver up to 20 per cent decarbonization of diesel-fueled transportation and household/SME electricity generators through the supply of cleaner diesel.

“The technology doesn’t just ensure cleaner air; it also offers significant economic benefits.

“It can reduce the cost of cutting down emissions by 30 to 40 per cent, translating to considerable reductions in the national budgetary requirement for implementing the Nigerian Energy Transition Plan.

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“This is equivalent to 120 to 140 billion dollars and achieving the 2060 net zero target.

“Additionally, by producing cleaner diesel locally, the country can save up to 500 million dollars annually in foreign exchange, strengthening the local economy and stabilizing the Naira,” Nnaji said.

He disclosed that the proof of concept of the winning work had been established in the U.K. and Norway.

In his remarks Mr Andy Odeh, NLNG’s General Manager, External Relations and Sustainable Development, lauded The Nigeria Prize for Science and its sister awards – The Nigeria Prize for Literature and The Nigeria Prize for  Literary Criticism

Odeh noted that the three prizes had made significant impact on the science and literary development in the country in the last 20 years.

He commended the advisory board for their dedication and exceptional contributions to the prize’s integrity and elevation to international standards.

The NLNG boss also paid tribute to former board members and the science committees and honored the late Prof. Umaru Shehu, the first Chairman of the Prize’s committee.

He said that Shehu was instrumental in conceptualizing the Prize and establishing its foundational values of integrity, transparency and steadfastness.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the panel of judges who  reached this year’s decision included three distinguished Professors in relevant areas of science.

The professors are Prof. Francisca Nneka Okeke (Chairman), Prof. Saminu Abdulrahman Ibrahim and Prof. Grace Oloukoi.

Other members of the Advisory Board include Dr Nike Akande, a two-time minister and former President of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

It also includes Prof. Yusuf Abubakar, a Professor of Animal Breeding and Quantitative Genetics, the Coordinator of the Agriculture Group, R & D Standing Committee at the Tertiary Education Trust Fund.

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