Nigerian Railway Corporation gets LNG-retrofitted locomotive under public-private partnership 

The retrofit is expected to drastically reduce operating costs, in line with a presidential directive for ministries and agencies to transition from diesel to more economical and sustainable fuels like LNG and Compressed Natural Gas (CNG).

Minister of Transportation, Sen. Saidu Alkali, made the announcement during the final test run of the LNG-powered locomotive at the Idu Train Terminal in the Federal Capital Territory.

He emphasized the project’s potential to significantly lower fuel consumption and improve the cost efficiency of the railway system.

“To God be the glory, the locomotive is successfully retrofitted. It is using LNG 70 per cent and diesel 30 per cent. 

“The retrofit will enable the engines to work on a dual-fuel system with the locomotive running on 70 per cent gas and 30 per cent diesel. 

“The idea is that by the time you use LNG 70%, the cost of running the locomotive will drastically reduce,” Alkali said.  

The Transportation Minister further elaborated that the retrofitting of NRC locomotives forms part of a comprehensive strategy to unbundle the Nigeria Railway Corporation.

He noted that this unbundling process is aimed at decentralizing the corporation’s operations and enhancing private-sector participation.

In March 2024, the Federal Government announced its plan to transition the Nigerian Railway Corporation’s (NRC) locomotives to more cost-effective LNG-CNG fuel, following a proposal from De-Sadel Consortium.

This security enhancement, combined with improved fuel efficiency, is expected to boost NRC’s revenue by ensuring safer and more reliable train operations, he stressed.