Greenville LNG Company Limited has entered into a strategic partnership with the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) to fuel its newly retrofitted LNG-powered trains in Abuja.

This project signifies the beginning of a long-term, mutually beneficial partnership between Greenville LNG and the NRC and aims to reshape the future of railway transportation in Nigeria.

The initiative is part of NRC’s ongoing energy transition to LNG, with the locomotives retrofitted with LNG kits by the De-Sadel Consortium. During the first LNG fuelling of a locomotive engine by Greenville LNG at the Idu NRC Station, Abuja, Greenville LNG Company Limited was represented by its General Manager of LNG-CNG Retailing, Gokul Moothedathu, and Head of Commercial, Amit Singh, among others. Several senior NRC officials were also present during this historic event.

The second LNG fuelling event for the NRC locomotives saw the attendance of notable stakeholders and guests. Both test drives were successfully conducted with passengers on board.

The partnership between Greenville LNG and NRC focuses on the supply of LNG for the retrofitted trains.

The LNG-powered test drives of the NRC trains included successful stops in both Kubwa, Abuja, FCT, and Kaduna State, demonstrating the effectiveness of transitioning NRC’s train-powering energy source to LNG.

This initiative represents a significant advancement in Nigeria’s efforts to embrace and promote sustainable energy solutions, significantly reducing environmental pollution and operational costs.

Speaking on the occasion, the General Manager of LNG-CNG Retailing, Gokul Moothedathu, said: “Greenville LNG, in line with best global practice, is proactively working towards a most efficient, effective, and affordable energy renaissance, and a great transition to a cleaner, more eco-friendly future that guarantees a healthy and sustainable environment for generations to come in Nigeria.”

For his part, the Chairman of the De-Sadel Consortium, Mr Samuel Uko, noted that the conversion aligns with Nigeria’s Gas Initiative vision, with the potential to reduce operational costs by about 70 per cent.

The Federal Government, through the Minister of Transportation, Said Alkali, had earlier initiated a move to transition Nigerian Railway Corporation locomotives from diesel to liquefied natural gas and compressed natural gas to steer the corporation towards sustainable energy sources and reduce operational costs.

The Minister expressed optimism that transitioning to the LNG-CNG alternative could produce more effective, efficient, and logically cheaper rail services for Nigerians.

Meanwhile, Greenville LNG has fuelled Ekeson Transport’s LNG buses with LNG at the company’s station located in Lagos. Greenville LNG was represented by the company’s Zonal Manager, Retail South, Shantanu Mishra. The Managing Director of Ekeson Transport, Ojukwu Chijioke, was also present.

In another development, senior operational security and law enforcement officers paid a familiarisation visit to the Greenville LNG Gas Plant in Rumuji.
All the Divisional Police Officers of Emohua, Rumuji, and Ahoada accompanied the Area Commander, ACP Cecy Brown, on the visit.

Brown stressed the need for peaceful cooperation between the company, its stakeholders, and communities. Greenville LNG’s Director of Community and Administrative Affairs, Mr Joseph Oyadoyin, and the company’s Group Head of Security, Mr Yusuf Zaiyana, were on hand in Rumuji, Rivers State, to receive the visitors at the Greenville LNG Gas Plant.