Caterpillar pledges gas technology support for Nigeria

Equipment manufacturing giants, Caterpillar, has pledged to assist the country overcome its power challenges with its “Smarter Energy Solutions” driven by gas.

Disclosing this at a seminar “Smarter Energy Solutions” hosted by Mantrac Nigeria Limited, in Lagos, Cat Territory Manager, Gas, Electric Power Projects, Sohail Anwar, said: “Caterpillar has been in the gas business and what we are doing at the moment is investing more in developing gas- powered technology because of the ever rising demand for electricity now and in the future,”

He said: “It is green energy; it is environmentally friendly. It is much convenient for the environment so it is much better to invest in green energy. It is basically available; there is abundance of gas in Nigeria, so why not use the natural resource and switch over to a better and efficient gas-powered solution?

Managing Director of Mantrac Nigeria Limited, Edmund Martin-Lawson, said: “This is smarter energy solution because we have power solution through gas engines. We are focusing on gas and that is where the government is going.

“So the equipment we are introducing to the country are gas engines that can be used to tap the abundant gas resources available and convert it to power so that soon, Nigeria will stop having power blackouts. The engines will take power closer to the communities because as at today, we still have problems with transmission. So the best solution is to bring the engines closer to communities, and produce power.”

He recalled that there was maximum value to be obtained wondering “can anyone imagine going home to see power which is stable and doesn’t blow up their appliances? And now consider that this economy has grown in the past at an average of six per cent per annum without adequate power. “Without adequate power we are the number one economy in Africa, so one can imagine what we can do if there is enough power. Can anyone imagine all the industries that can come up? Can anyone imagine all the people that could be employed? Power is the best thing this country needs.

“If the gas is used the cost of production will be cheaper than diesel. This will cause manufacturing to become cheaper and cost of production will go down. All of us will have better lifestyles because we have access to power,” he said.