President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday met with the Group Managing Director of UTM FLNG Ltd, Julius Rone and his team.
Under his astute leadership, UTM Offshore is building Nigeria’s first and Africa’s first indigenous floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) facility – a floating production storage and offloading unit that conducts liquefied natural gas operations for developing offshore natural gas resources – thereby spearheading the expansion of Nigeria’s gas market in line with the government’s Decade of Gas Initiative, an initiative that aims to make energy poverty history through the maximization of gas.
This is well positioned to shape discussions around the role the continent’s 620 trillion cubic feet of natural gas resources play in lifting the over 600 million people out of energy poverty and providing access to clean cooking to some 900 million people across the continent whilst driving industrialization and economic growth.
With UTM Offshore planning to take a final investment decision on the $5 billion FLNG project in the second quarter of 2023, Rone is poised to redefine infrastructure investment and about to ensure a sustainable future for Nigerians and Africans at large through expanding access to cleaner, safer and reliable energy.
President Tinubu said he was extremely impressed with the project, which he said, was capable of transforming the Nigerian economy.
The president said he was equally impressed with the number of jobs the project would generate and the effect the development it would have on the nation’s economy.
Others at the meeting include Ms Emmanuelle Blatmann, the Ambassador of France to Nigeria, Ms Hiromi Otuski Deputy Ambassador for Japan to Nigeria, Naoki Noguchi, MD JGC, Mr Sadeeq Mai Bornu (Project Advisor).
After the meeting, the GMD of UTM, Julius Rone, MD of Japan Gas Company and Senior VP of Technip presented the prototype of Nigeria’s first ever Floating Liquefied Natural Gas (FLNG) facility to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR) at the State House.
In the president’s team are the Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila; Special Adviser on Media and Special Duties, Dele Alake; amongst others.
Recall that UTM in collaboration with Japan Gas Company (JGC) and Technip Energies Limited began the commencement of the Front End Engineering Design (FEED) for the nation’s first Floating Liquefied Natural Gas (FLNG) facility.
