The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), China Petroleum Pipeline Engineering Company Limited (CPPECL) and Brantex Consortium, would soon begin work on the Abuja-Kaduna- Kano pipeline, AKK project.
The Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Mallam Mele Kyari, gave this indication when he received the President of CPPECL, Sun Quanjun and the head of the Brantex Consortium at the NNPC Towers in Abuja.
A statement by the acting spokesman, Mr. Samson Makoji, said the AKK project was key to resolving the power deficit challenge of the country.
Kyari said NNPC was ready to give all necessary support to CPPECL and Brantex Consortium to deliver the project within time and within budget.
The AKK pipeline estimated to cost $2.8bn is a 614km-long natural gas pipeline currently being developed by the NNPC. The pipeline is slated to originate from Ajaokuta and pass through Abuja and Kaduna, before ending at a terminal gas station in Kano.
Kyari urged the China Pipeline Company to use it as a platform for other bigger opportunities in the Oil and Gas Industry pipeline projects.
Mr Quanjun on his part said his company along with Brantex Consortium was prepared to deliver on the AKK project.
He said it would deploy its new pipeline technology system capable of guaranteeing the integrity of the project for several decades to come.
Quanjun also his company will establish a training facility in Nigeria that would help in the training and retraining the Nigerian employees.
The pipeline project is being implemented through a Build and Transfer (BT) public-private partnership (PPP) model, which involves the contractor providing 100% of the funding.
