Kwara University to establish CNG conversion centre, converts 4 vehicles

The Kwara State University (KWASU), Malete, has announced a plan to establish a Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) conversion site in Ilorin, the state capital.

The university’s vice-chancellor, Jimoh Shaykh-Lukman, disclosed this while showcasing vehicles converted from fossil fuel to CNG and hybrid models at the university’s business school in Ilorin.

Mr Shaykh-Lukman said the university’s engineering department has converted four vehicles from fossil fuel to CNG and is working on 22 other vehicles.

MoU with Chinese companies

He said the university has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with two Chinese companies—Zhejiang Sinray Electronics Company and Jiaxing Keyuan Electronics Company Limited—to supply CNG conversion kits.

Mr Shaykh-Lukman said that partnering with reputable companies to supply CNG conversion kits would ensure quality products that would not pose safety risks.

He noted that the university aims to carry out the conversions on a large scale to make the initiative accessible to more people.

He said KWASU has been committed to reducing carbon emissions and promoting a clean, green environment.

“As part of this commitment, KWASU engineers have already converted four fuel-powered vehicles to electric and one to CNG. When we converted our first two vehicles to electric, we presented them to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, who commended and supported our efforts,” Mr Shaykh-Lukman said.

“Following his recommendation, the Ministry of Business Innovation and Technology entrusted us with three vehicles for conversion to electric. We have successfully converted two so far.”

Mr Shaykh-Lukman said the governor also ordered the transfer of 22 vehicles from Kwara Express to KWASU for conversion, and the team has started work on them.

“Recently, we completed the conversion of one vehicle to CNG, allowing it to run on both petrol and gas. We are not new to this process; we have been working on it for some time and are already seeing promising results,” he said.

The chief technologist in KWASU’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Abdulazeez Akande, who spoke on the environmental and economic benefits of the conversion programme, said carbon emissions from vehicles have contributed significantly to ozone layer depletion.

“The rising petrol prices have forced many people to park their vehicles. CNG offers a cost-effective alternative, providing up to 80 per cent savings compared to traditional fuel,” Mr Akande said.

He said while electric vehicles offer even greater environmental benefits, the high conversion cost currently makes CNG an inaccessible option for many.

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“One kilogramme of CNG can cover at least 13 kilometres, making it highly economical. Since converting four vehicles that transport university staff to Malete, KWASU has saved approximately N840,000 in just seven weeks,” Mr Akande said.

He explained that electric car batteries last eight to ten years and that the vehicles operate without an engine, underscoring their durability and efficiency.