Legislation may restrict use of kerosene, charcoal for cooking
By Discussions are ongoing for a possible legislation to limit the use of kerosene and charcoal as cooking fuels in Lagos.
In their place, the government will be encouraging the use of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) in homes. If the plan succeeds, the government will also be encouraging the design, local production and distribution of small gas cylinders to encourage residents’ migration to the new order.
BDSUNDAY gathers that there will also be massive public enlightenment campaigns during which safety measures with regard to the use of gas and handling of cylinders will be well communicated to the people.
It was also learnt that there plans to encourage investment in gas reticulation pipelines in highbrow areas such as Lekki, Victoria island, Ikoyi to enable residents connect directly to their homes, while in other areas, there will be gas refill stations.
The move falls in line the government’s vision to promote clean environment and reduce the level of carbon emissions in Nigeria’s most populous state.
To ensure this works, the state government will be seeking to raise the level of gas supply to Lagos from its current 500 million standard cubic feet (scf) of natural and LPG per day to 1.25 billion. The vision is captured in the Lagos State Electric Power Reform Law which implementation begins from July. The law was passed by the state House of Assembly in January and assented by the governor on February 8, 2018.
Under the reform, the government plans to open the Lagos gas market to local and international players; the major aimed being to wean the state economy from dependency on gas from the Niger Delta five years from now.
The state is considering signing long term off-take contracts for gas found in any oil field in Lagos, including the Aje Oil Field in Badagry, operated by Yinka Folawiyo Petroleum Company, and the Dangote Oil Refinery which is expected to begin operations within the Lekki Free Trade Zone (LFTZ) in 2021.
“Part of the objectives of the gas sector reform is to guarantee steady supply to power the state’s economy,” said Oluwo.
According to him, the government is considering a floating storage & re-gasification unit (FSRU) for supply of up to 750 million scf of gas per day, and connection of the re-gasified natural gas from the FSRU to the Escravos Lagos Pipeline Service (ELPS).
The state will also be increasing the supply of LPG from both local and international players, with the state ministry of physical planning already working on 200 designated locations across state where potential gas operators will set up storage and dispensing stations.
“There are plans to design small sized cylinders for distribution in the retail market and ensure that the cylinders to be deployed are manufactured in Lagos,” said Oluwo.
JOSHUA BASSEY
The post Legislation may restrict use of kerosene, charcoal for cooking appeared first on BusinessDay : News you can trust.