Exploring Alternative Fuels in Nigeria: A Sustainable Approach

The increase in the price of fuel and the removal of fuel subsidies has caused many to wonder if there are other alternatives to fuel that could enable car owners in Nigeria. Not only that, alternative fuel options have a positive impact on the environment compared to fossil fuels.

Sustainable fuel alternatives have been a major concern for many Nigerian experts as there are many other nations where these alternatives are being used to reduce their reliance on fuel. Just recently, farmers in Michigan, a state in the United States of America, have started developing fuel through cow milk.

In a country like Nigeria, where our reliance on fuel has brought about many challenges for its citizens, what are other fuel alternatives the country could look into to enable us to cushion the effect of increased prices in fuel and general fuel monopoly?

Alternative Fuel Types

Aside from fuel, there are several other alternatives that can power vehicles that have been used in other nations. They are:

• Ethanol
• Biodiesel
• Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)
• Liquified Natural Gas (LNG)
• Propane

Ethanol

Ethanol is a biofuel manufactured through agricultural produce like sugarcane, corn, and cassava. In most countries, ethanol is used as an alternative for fuel or mixed with into fuel to increase the quantity. However, ethanol has an environmental advantage over fuel, which is that it decreases gas emissions and it also enhances vehicle engine performance.

Compressed Natural Gas

CNG is a fuel alternative made from natural gas and has a cleaner gas burn than regular gas. This compressed natural gas can then be used in vehicles, and today, the number one car manufacturer in Nigeria, Innoson Motors, has vehicles that make use of CNG. CNG also generates fewer gas emissions compared to petrol and diesel.

Liquified Natural Gas

To obtain LNG, natural gas is compressed and cooled to extremely low temperatures, at which point it turns to liquid. LNG can only be used to fill the tanks of LNG vehicles. One major advantage LNG has over CNG is that it is more dense. For two tanks of the same size, an LNG tank will allow a vehicle to drive further than the CNG tank. This makes LNG a good option for heavy trucks travelling long distances.

Biodiesel

Biodiesel is a fuel alternative obtained through plants or animal fats or even through cooking oil. Biodiesel can be used alone to power an engine or can also be mixed into diesel. However, Biodiesel has a greater cetane rating than diesel, and just like ethanol, it has great performance in engines.

Propane 

Propane is another sustainable option for fuel. However, Propane is only used in propane-powered vehicles, and it’s a by-product of the manufacturing of natural gas. When compared to diesel, gas, or petrol, Propane burns more cleanly and produces fewer gas emissions.

Will Alternatives to Fuel Be Available For Use in Nigeria?

Alternatives to fuel will be a welcomed option for powering car engines and other engines in Nigeria following the increase in the price of fuel. 

But, there’s no certainty any of that will be happening soon as PricewaterhouseCoopers Limited, a company that offers strategic management and human resource consulting services, noted that adopting fuel alternatives like CNG in Nigeria is not feasible in the short to medium term as it’ll pose challenges for the government. Rather, it can only be functional in the country in the long term once the challenges it could pose to Nigeria have been addressed.

Conclusion

While there are alternative fuel options, fuel is still the number one means of powering many vehicle engines in Nigeria, and until other alternatives have been adopted, Nigerians will be subjected to making use of fuel for their vehicles and engines.