Nigeria has initiated the conversion of railway locomotive engines from diesel to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), making it the first African country to undertake such an endeavour.
During an inspection of the retrofitting exercise at the Idutrain station in Abuja on Monday, Transportation Minister Sa’idu Alkali announced that the conversion process is at an advanced stage.
The newly retrofitted engines are designed to operate on a combination of 70% diesel and 30% gas. Initially, diesel is used to power the engines, which are then switched to gas once they are running.
“We started this project a month ago,” Minister Alkali noted. “Nigeria is pioneering the conversion of diesel engines to gas in Africa. This technology allows the engine to start with diesel and then switch to gas, significantly improving efficiency.”
The Minister revealed that the first test-run of the converted locomotive engine is scheduled for the following day. This test will determine the timeline for the full rollout of the CNG locomotives across the country.
Alkali highlighted the numerous benefits of this conversion, including a substantial reduction in maintenance costs by 60 to 70 percent.
Additionally, the shift to gas will significantly decrease emissions, as the engines will produce minimal gas emissions once they switch from diesel to gas.
The conversion process is initially focusing on the Abuja-Kaduna rail corridor due to the proximity of the workshop in Abuja.
However, Alkali assured that plans are in place to expand the conversion to other rail corridors in the near future.
This ambitious project represents a significant step towards modernizing Nigeria’s transportation infrastructure, reducing environmental impact, and promoting sustainable energy use.
By leading the way in this technological advancement, Nigeria sets a precedent for other African nations to follow.
