Three compressed natural gas refuelling stations inaugurated in Kano State can service up to 2,500 cars and tricycles every day, according to Okuwale Adama, Executive Director of the Midstream and Downstream Gas Infrastructure Fund. The facilities were opened on Thursday and comprise two locations: a major liquefied compressed natural gas distribution hub and retail station at Tamburawa in Dawakin Kudu Local Government Area with a capacity of 300,000 standard cubic metres per day, and a retail station at Hotoro in Tarauni Local Government Area with a capacity of 21,000 standard cubic metres per day.
The cost advantage of CNG over petrol is substantial in Kano's market. According to Adama, petrol sells for approximately 1,420 naira per litre, while the equivalent energy from CNG costs about 600 naira. For a tricycle operator buying ten litres of petrol daily at a cost of 14,200 naira, switching to CNG would reduce daily fuel spending to around 6,000 naira, saving 8,200 naira per day. Adama noted that the refuelling speed at these stations means vehicle operators can spend less time in queues and more time working.
The Tamburawa station's daily capacity of 300,000 standard cubic metres is equivalent to the energy content of approximately ten fully loaded petrol tankers, Adama said. Mubarak Danbatta, Founder of Rolling Energy Limited, the operator of the facilities, explained that the Tamburawa location has a designed gas-handling capacity of five million standard cubic feet per day, supported by two liquefied natural gas tanks of 55 metric tonnes each for a combined storage capacity of 110 metric tonnes. The Hotoro station has a storage capacity of eight metric tonnes.
Danbatta described the inauguration as a step towards transforming Northern Nigeria's energy landscape, stating that when Rolling Energy was established, the vision was to bring cleaner and more affordable energy to Nigerians, particularly in regions where gas infrastructure was lacking. He characterised the project as building an integrated energy ecosystem rather than simply adding gas stations. Adama commended President Bola Tinubu for emphasizing domestic gas utilisation and cleaner transport alternatives through the Renewed Hope Agenda.