Compressed Natural Gas: The Geo-scientific and Technological Innovation Shaping the Energy Landscape for a Cleaner and Eco-Friendly Society in Nigeria

Nigeria with the African largest gas reserve of 210 TCF has not been maximally utilizing its abundant gas resource till 2023 when subsidy on refined petroleum products was removed. The study aim to elucidate the production and utilization of Compressed Natural Gas as an eco-friendly energy re-shaping the energy landscape for a net less carbon and cleaner society. The assessment has elaborated the Geo-scientific production of raw natural gas from known hydrocarbon reservoirs for processing to CNG. It entail extraction, separation and purification, compression, storage, distribution and dispensing among others. Stored in steel cylinders at a pressure of 20–25 megapascals (2,900–3,600 psi) with 6 to 8 mm thick walls that literally makes it the most resistant component of vehicles. The steel fuel pipes are also more resistant than the gasoline ie petrol ones, offering a highly environmental resilience to a changing climate. It is less likely to ignite on hot surfaces since it has a high auto-ignition temperature (540 °C) and a narrow range (5–15%) of flammability. The adoption trend in Nigeria is at infancy with only about 0.9% utilization rate recorded, the bulk of which are commercial vehicles of about 12,000,000 total registered ones. Projection of scaling up to 9.1% and 21% utilization rate by 2027 and 2030 respectively is currently in the pipeline with several interventions of government, national and multinational companies with free conversion kits, mobile refueling outlets, highly reduced equipments, upcoming 500 new CNG Retail outlets and subsidized retrofitting cost. Nigeria’s CNG network currently comprised an estimated 27 mother stations (compression hubs), 63 daughter stations (refueling outlets) and 242 certified vehicle conversion centers. The PCNGI target to convert one million vehicles and deploy 500 new refueling stations by 2030 to enhance a clean and environmentally sustainable foundational vision of net zero carbon society for a robust national growth. It is an ideal eco-friendly transport fuel that will re-shape the economic development of Nigeria and the world at large.