NNPC to set up $300m renewable energy plant in Benue

The Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), has unveiled its plan  to set up an energy renewable plant in Benue.
According to its Group General Manager in charge of Renewable Energy Division, Rabiu Suleiman, who stated this on Tuesday, the plant will use agro products to generate energy.
He said the project, which would cost about 300 million dollars, would be financed through joint partnership with foreign partners.
The corporation had already secured technical partners that were ready to support the project.
While explaining, Mr. Rabiu said the project which is geared towards energy diversification, was conceived by the Federal Government since 2005.
He said President Muhammadu Buhari had already taken initiatives to begin the diversification programme.
Already, the Benue Government a 20,000 hectares of land for the projects’ take-off, has been earmarked by the Benue government as part of its equity share of the plant.
Mr. Rabiu said when completed, the plant would boost economic growth and create employment for the people of the state.
He said the land would be used for the cultivation of sugarcane, cassava, palm kernel for the extraction of ethanol as a renewable energy source.
“Apart from ethanol which will be sourced from the agricultural products, we can also make fertilisers and animal feeds from their byproducts,” he said.
He said the Federal Government also identified seven other states for its renewable energy project but said the success of the Benue plant would determine the take-off of the other projects.
Mr. Rabiu also said the NNPC was also exploring various other sources of fuel in the Chad Basin and the Benue trough.