Key Points
- The House aims to introduce legislation to regulate CNG systems.
- Safety concerns over locally fabricated CNG tanks are growing.
- Over 2,000 vehicles have converted to CNG without explosions in certified centers.
In accordance with international best practices, the House of Representatives has decided to propose legislation to control the installation and operation of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) tanks and vehicles.
House seeks to regulate CNG tanks and vehicles in Nigeria.
The decision came after a resolution, sponsored by Mr. Fuad Laguda, the member for Lagos State’s Surulere 1 Federal Constituency, with the title Urgent Need for Legislation to Support the Presidential CNG Initiative to Prevent Further Loss of Life Due to Locally Fabricated CNG Tanks, was adopted.
Laguda stated in his presentation that the Presidential CNG Initiative of the federal government seeks to promote CNG as a cleaner, more cost-effective substitute for petrol and diesel. This will lessen Nigerians’ reliance on imported fuel, cut emissions, and make transportation more economical for them.
He underlined that in many nations, CNG has shown itself to be a sustainable and practical alternative fuel for transportation. But he emphasized that correctly manufactured, installed, and inspected CNG tanks and systems in cars are essential to their safe use.
Edo explosion underscores urgent need for safety regulations.
He clarified that a boom in the manufacture of inferior tanks by untrained craftsmen has resulted in preventable explosions and fatalities due to the absence of regulatory criteria for the local construction, installation, and inspection of CNG cylinders. Vehicle owners and passengers are at risk since so many CNG conversion workshops and artisans are working without the necessary technical certification or supervision.
According to punch, Laguda cautioned that more Nigerians will be at risk of explosions, injuries, and fatalities if legislation is not passed to control the manufacture, testing, and certification of CNG tanks and installations.
He also emphasized how the Presidential CNG Initiative’s success and public confidence in CNG technology could be jeopardised by the use of inferior materials, improper installations, and insufficient testing of CNG cylinders.
Following the motion’s adoption, the House decided to quickly draft and pass legislation governing the manufacture, installation, and use of CNG tanks and systems in automobiles. The law would guarantee that these procedures adhere to globally recognised safety standards and stop untrained individuals from fabricating inferior CNG tanks.
The House also called on the Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON) and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) to work together to enforce stringent certification requirements for the manufacture and installation of CNG tanks. Additionally, they demanded that only accredited and certified workshops be permitted to convert vehicles to CNG.
