Optimera Energy LFZ Enterprise has flagged off the construction of infrastructure at the Lagos Free Zone to distribute natural gas to companies operating within the zone.
Speaking during the groundbreaking ceremony held at the zone on Tuesday, the Managing Director of Optimera Energy, Mrs Audrey Joe-Ezigbo, disclosed that the infrastructure comprised a 25 million Standard Cubic Feet per day City Gate Station, scalable to 100MMScf/d.
According to Joe-Ezigbo, the project included other ancillary infrastructure like 10km distribution lines within the zone as well as a 6.5km x 10 inches gas pipeline from the Escravos – Lagos Pipeline System tie-in point in the Lekki corridor, outside the zone to Optimera City Gate Station at the LFZ.
She explained that Optimera Energy had signed a 20-year Gas Infrastructure Development Agreement with the Lagos Free Zone Company to connect off-takers to its gas distribution infrastructure within the zone.
“The LFZC has invested over $2.5bn in building a world-class facility integrated with Lekki Deep Seaport in the Zone, particularly as this project is fully aligned with the nation’s Decade of Gas aspirations,” she said.
The Chief Executive Officer of LFZC, Mr Dinesh Rathi, described the project as “one step closer to our goal of providing reliable and cleaner energy solutions to meet the needs of existing and future tenants at LFZ”.
In his remarks, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, stated that the project was a significant milestone in the country’s journey towards a more sustainable and energy-efficient future.
Ekpo explained, “Natural Gas is a pivotal component in our energy matrix, offering cleaner and more efficient solutions. The infrastructure we are launching today is not just about pipes and stations, but about powering communities, industries, and dreams.”
Also at the occasion, the Special Adviser to the President on Energy, Mrs Olu Verheijen, stated that the partnership between Optimera Energy and LFZ was a landmark achievement in Nigeria’s energy sector.
The PUNCH reports that Optimera Energy is a consortium made up of Falcon Corporation Limited; FHN Gas Limited and ND Western Midstream Limited, which are affiliates of upstream companies with combined gas reserves of over 4 trillion cubic feet, currently producing over 350MMscf/d into the Nigerian domestic gas market.
The Federal Government in 2022 launched the Energy Transition Plan to help the country achieve the 2060 net zero target.
Former President Muhammedu Buhari announced that the country had adopted gas as its transition fuel.
