The Federal Government has successfully retrofitted train locomotives to operate on a dual-fuel system, which is expected to save over 60% on diesel costs. This significant achievement was announced by the Minister of Transportation, Said Alkali, who expressed his satisfaction with the test run at the Amina J. Mohammed Train Station in Abuja.
The newly retrofitted locomotives now run on a 70% Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and 30% diesel mix, marking a significant step in reducing operational expenses and promoting cleaner energy in Nigeria’s rail transport system. Before the modification, the locomotives ran entirely on diesel.
Although a 100% LNG conversion is not technically feasible due to the locomotive’s heavy-duty engine, the minister plans to extend the retrofitting initiative across the national rail network.
The Managing Director of De-Sadel Consortium, Samuel Uko, praised the accomplishment, noting that this was the first locomotive in Africa to operate using LNG .