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Nigeria Kicks-off First Ethanol Refinery

Sulaimon Salau

Nigeria is set to join the league of ethanol fueling nations, as the first refinery kicks-off yesterday in Ondo state. The refinery, located in Arigidi-Akoko area of the state is expected to begin operation in July 2009 with production capacity of approximatelly 1.5 million liters of ethanol per day. This is coming a day after the world energy market celebrated the first aircraft (Virgin Atlantic) which flew on ethanol fuel from Amsterdam to London for the first time in history.

At completion of the project, Nigerians would have the priviledge to buy fuel at a cheaper rate, while cars and indusries would now run on cleaner energy. Ten percent of ethanol would be mixed with petrol for domestic and industrial use. Also, not less than 58,000 Nigerians would be employed. 8,000 people would gain direct employment, while 50,000 would be indirectly engaged. Besides, the process would reduce the ever clamoured global warming in this region of the world which arises as a result of much smokes being discharged into the atmosphere through humans production and transportation activities.

The Group Managing Director of THE Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Abubakar Yaradua said with this development, the global biofuel industry is becoming a reality, even as developed coutries such as United States and Europe are steping up thier target usage of biofuels to significant levels. He said, "Nigeria is blessed with much untapped agricultural potentials which allows the cultivation of the most advanced crops available in the world. Nigeria is estimated to have more than one million hectares of unsused land available for biofuel production."

Yar'Adua, who was represented by the Group General Manager of Renewable Energy Division (RED) of NNPC, Mr. Sulaimon Achimogu, said the federal government has introduced the biofuels initiative to harness the vast agricutural potentials of the nation for sustainable wealth creation, employment generation and energy security through renewable energy resources. The project, according to him would be a major contribution to the president Yar'Adua's seven-point agenda through power generation, wealth creation and energy security.

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Global Biofuels Limited, the initiator of the project, Otunba Felix Babatunde Obada said the main objective of the project is to help Nigeria achieve the mandatory E-10 requirements of the kyoto Protocol while at the same time position the company as a profitable biofuel producer.

His word, "Developing, manufacturing, building, installing and maintaining renewable energy technologies such as fuel ethanol has the potentials to create new Nigeria-led jobs and powerful modern industries. This will not only serve to empower entrepreneurs and companies to help build a vibrant and diverse economy. As fossil fuel depletes, Nigeria will have diverse, dependable energy sources and be able to strategically benefit from the oil resources."

He stressed that the company plans to invest about N700 billion on the project across seven states of the federation, like Ekiti, Osun, Kwara, Kogi, Niger and Kaduna. The ground breaking and foundation layin covers the establishment of 30,000 Hecters of Sweet Sorghum Farm, Integrated Ethanol Refinery Complex and Life Camp.

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