NNPC, Sahara Group to construct jetties to boost LPG penetration in West Africa

West Africa Gas Limited (WAGL) says it will develop and construct jetties across West African countries to boost Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) supply and penetration.

WAGL is a joint venture (JV) business operated by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited and Sahara Group.

In a statement on Sunday, Emmanuel Ubani, managing director, WAGL Energy Limited, said discussions were already at advanced stages for the first in the lot.

Ubani said the move was part of several efforts by the company to take advantage of opportunities in the energy transition space, adding that WAGL had embarked on developing infrastructure to make the most of the emerging energy transition era.

While acknowledging the growing LPG demand in Africa, Ubani said more strategic policies and investments were required to further promote and deepen product’s utilisation in Africa’s rural communities. 

Ubani said countries seeking to lead energy transition across the continent would need to take a critical step by massively de-risking and promoting increased private sector investment. 

“Governments need to do a great job at providing an enabling environment for the sector to thrive. They need to take advantage of the abundancy and competitiveness of renewables and also support systemic innovation, especially as it affects the changing energy mix,” Ubani said. 

The NNPC and Sahara Group had taken delivery of two 23,000 cubic meters (CBM) LPG vessels at the Hyundai MIPO Shipyard, a manufacturer of mid-sized carriers, in Ulsan, South Korea.