Joseph Bakare
The BFI Group, the core investor in Aluminum Smelter Company of Nigeria (ALSCON), has entered into a $1.2 billion deal with China National Chemical Engineering International Corporation Ltd. to rehabilitate the 135MMscfd Gas Processing plant.
The contract signed between CNCEC and BFI Group – the core investor in the Aluminum Smelter Company of Nigeria is the first step towards reviving the dormant smelter, which has been plagued by years of inactivity due to legal disputes and financial issues.
The CNCEC is the biggest petrochemical engineering company in China and it is a technical partner to BFI Group, USA on the project.
Under the deal the ALSCON is expected to utilise Nigeria’s natural gas resources to resuscitate the plant valued at about $3.5 billion and bring back the venture which is meant to cement Nigeria’s place as a major producer of aluminium for the domestic and international market.
The Minister of State Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, in a statement issued by his media aide Louis Ibah, described the deal as epoch-making and a testament to President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to encouraging investments in natural gas utilization for Nigeria’s industrialization, economic growth, and development.
The Ministry said late on Monday that the deal would see CNCEC resuscitate the 135 million standard cubic feet per day gas processing plant at the dormant smelter.
The ALSCON which has been dormant for nearly three decades, is poised to regain its position as a major aluminum producer for domestic and international markets, with a capacity to produce three hundred thousand (300,000) metric tonnes of aluminum per annum.
Represented by Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Ambassador Nicholas Agbo Ella, Ekpo lauded the synergy between BFI Group and CNCEC International, highlighting the Chinese and Nigerian governments’ collaboration for mutual growth and development.
Ekpo expressed optimism that the agreement would expedite actions necessary to restart the Gas Processing Facility, which will be the first phase to restart the ALSCON Plant. Upon resumption, the plant is expected to catalyze Nigeria’s aluminum upstream and downstream sectors, utilizing natural gas and positioning the country as a major producer in Africa and globally.
The Gas Minister congratulated BFI Group and CNCEC International on achieving a significant milestone, trusting that the project will be delivered within budget and on time, given the companies’ pedigree and capacity.
Chairman and CEO of BFI Limited, said the deal aims to promptly reactivate ALSCON.
He praised CNCEC’s commitment to Nigeria’s national planning and industrial development, highlighting their shared goals to efficiently utilize natural gas, reduce carbon emissions, promote energy industry growth, enhance employment opportunities, and accelerate regional economic expansion.
Jaja commended CNCEC’s technical and capital resources expertise, citing their competence as a strategic partner in ALSCON’s rehabilitation, commissioning, and expansion.
The plant is expected to produce around one million tons of aluminum annually and generate up to 540 megawatts of electricity, Ekpo said.