One week after the Lekki Port, Nigeria’s deepest seaport, received the largest container ship to call in Nigerian port, the new port is set to welcome another container ship that is bigger than the Maersk ship that called the port last week Sunday.
French shipping company, CMA-CGM, yesterday received the first and largest Liquified Natural Gas, (LNG) powered vessel carrying about 14,000 containers.
Speaking at the arrival ceremony in Lagos, Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Mr Adegboyega Oyetola, said there was a ministerial directive to take cognizance of global energy transition in its port modernization project by deliberately factoring in measures that promote energy efficiency.
He said: “The ministry of marine and blue economy is convinced that shipping has a pivotal role to play in global decarbonisation efforts.
”This is why I will like to seize this moment to commend the management of the Nigerian Ports Authority’s compliance with the ministerial directive to take cognizance of global energy transition in its port modernization project by deliberately factoring in measures that promote energy efficiency.
“Apart from its distinctive feature of eco-friendliness, ‘Scandola’ ranks among the largest container ships to be calling in West Africa with 15,000 TEUs.
”Lekki Deep Seaport’s natural depth of 16 meters added to its multifaceted efficiencies, state-of-the-art equipment and robust infrastructure which offers a capacity of up to 1.2 million TEUs in this phase 1 positions the Port to serve as a mega transhipment hub to Nigeria’s neighbouring countries in the Gulf of Guinea and beyond.
”With shipping volumes promising to get higher, forward-looking investments such as the one we are gathered here to celebrate will certainly have a big impact in the long run.
”The imperative of making our ports eco-friendly is no fluke. We will continue to support the NPA in its efforts at ensuring stakeholders’ compliance with the International Maritime Organization (IMO), sulphur regulation on Nigerian waterways.
”The driver of this change is the need to minimize the air pollution created in the shipping industry by reducing the sulphur content of the fuels that ships use. So, transition to the use of natural gas, which is more environmentally friendly by vessels plying our waterways, is a most welcome development.
”To put action behind our word, we have taken concrete steps towards the procurement of necessary tools to enhance NPA’s capacity for sulphur analysis as well as put in place a sanction regime for vessels which contravene the sulphur regulations.
”This is in the larger national interest due to the fact that Nigeria’s gas quality is reputed to be high and virtually without sulphur.
”I have said all of these to show that we align with the global discourse which posits that the reduction in the use of heavy hydrocarbons and increasing the use of LNG in maritime transport could help reduce carbon dioxide emissions and other pollution arising from international trade.
”This is a step in the right direction as we confront the challenges associated with climate change and air quality.
“Let me add that the administration of President Bola Tinubu is poised to continuously support noble investor efforts such as this, all in a concerted bid to optimize the rich blue economy inherent in our maritime endowments”.
