BUA, Partner Begin Development Of 700tpd, 45mscf Mini-LNG Plant

BUA has commenced the development of a 700-tonne-per day (700TPD), 45mmscf mini-LNG plant with a groundbreaking ceremony held at Ajaokuta, Kogi State, on Thursday.

At the event, the founder/executive chairman of BUA Group, Abdul Samad Rabiu, said: “This LNG plant, which we are doing the groundbreaking, also embodies that spirit. Upon completion, it will ensure that BUA’s captive power plants are provided with much-needed gas with limited supply downtime, thus enhancing our production and manufacturing capacity while positioning BUA to be fully integrated into the value chain of our energy supply operations.”

He stated that the project is a win-win for Nigeria and is in line with President Bola Tinubu’s vision and promoting gas usage for cleaner energy. NNPC will provide critical gas feedstock for a 10 per cent stake in the plant, and BUA will provide 100 per cent financing while driving execution. This is a testament that public-private partnerships under the right government policies can deliver transformative results.

Present at the event were the founder/executive chairman of BUA Group, Abdul Samad Rabiu, with the Kogi State governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo; minister of state for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo; NNPC Board chairman, Pius Akinyelure; GCEO NNPC, Mele Kyari; Authority Executive of NMDPRA, Farouk Ahmed and other eminent dignitaries including various stakeholders.

The BUA LNG plant will ensure cost efficiency, supply stability, and sustainability for BUA’s operations while reinforcing Nigeria’s industrial future. Covering a land area of about 16 hectares, it will primarily serve BUA’s captive power plants across its manufacturing businesses in Nigeria and provide gas for other uses within the country. This is geared towards operational efficiency in alignment with the national energy transition initiative.

The GCEO NNPC, Mele Kyari, in his speech stated that it is rightly timed to have these 5 mini-LNG plants in Kogi State of which BUA LNG is one, considering its strategic location at the crossroads of Nigeria’s North and South, in Ajaokuta, Kogi State.

The signing ceremony for the project, which held within the week at NGML headquarters in Abuja, was attended by BUA’s group executive director, Kabiru Rabiu, chief legal officer, Oluseye Alayande, and NGML’s leadership team led by Justin Ezeala.