HBM Nigeria Commissions High-Capacity CNG Station In Cross River
HBM Nigeria Plc has commissioned a high-capacity Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) station at its Mfamosing Plant in Cross River State, as part of efforts to improve the efficiency and sustainability of its logistics operations.
The facility, inaugurated on Thursday, has an installed capacity of 144,000 standard cubic metres of CNG per day and can initially refuel up to 150 trucks daily.
Equipped with two pumps and four dispensing points, the station is designed to operate around the clock, reducing refuelling queues and truck waiting times while improving fleet availability and turnaround time across the company’s logistics network.
The company said the second phase of the project is expected to become operational by October 2026, raising the facility’s capacity to approximately 250 trucks per day.
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, Cross River State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Pastor Ekpeyong EneCobhams, congratulated HBM Nigeria on the project and reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to creating an investment-friendly environment.
EneCobhams said the adoption of cleaner energy sources for transportation and logistics was increasingly important to improving efficiency in the movement of goods and services.
He also commended HBM Nigeria for its investment and corporate social responsibility initiatives in the state.
The Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of HBM Nigeria Plc, Lolu Alade-Akinyemi, described the facility as a major milestone in the company’s commitment to operational efficiency, sustainability and cost reduction.
He said energy and logistics remained significant cost drivers across the company’s operations and value chain, adding that increased reliance on CNG would help make its operations more efficient and cost-effective.
According to him, the investment also supports the Federal Government’s drive to promote CNG as a cleaner alternative energy source.
“With this facility, we will utilise cleaner, environmentally friendly, more efficient and effective energy sources,” Alade-Akinyemi said.
He added that the project would create opportunities for communities, customers, contractors and transporters in Cross River State and beyond.
The Logistics Director of HBM Nigeria, Osaze Aghatise, said the company had used CNG in its logistics operations for about nine years, but the new facility represented a major expansion in the scale of deployment.
Aghatise said the first phase would enable the company to serve up to 150 trucks daily, while the second phase would increase the capacity to about 250 trucks per day.
He explained that the investment would help shorten refuelling queues, reduce truck waiting times, improve vehicle availability and accelerate deliveries to customers.
The Procurement Director of HBM Nigeria Limited, Gabriel Ibiyemi, described the Mfamosing facility as an example of the benefits of disciplined sourcing and collaboration.
A transporter and Managing Director of JozaGlobal Logistics Limited, Emmanuel Usiakpor, also commended the project, noting that the CNG mother station would provide significant benefits to transport operators.
The commissioning was attended by government officials, traditional rulers, community representatives and senior HBM Nigeria executives, including the Commissioner for Mineral Resources (Solid Minerals), Ntufam Effiom-Ekaha Otu; Village Head of Mfamosing, Ntufam Paul Ntui; and a member of the Cross River State House of Assembly, Honourable Linus Bassey.
Other HBM Nigeria executives present included the Director of Communications, Public Affairs and Sustainable Development, Viola Graham-Douglas; Health, Safety and Environment Director, Rachael Ezembakwe; Legal Director, Adewunmi Alode; and Head of HBM-Eco, Temitope Dosumu.
The company said the expansion of its CNG infrastructure formed part of its broader logistics transformation strategy aimed at improving asset utilisation, reducing dependence on conventional fuels and strengthening the resilience of its logistics network.
