NNPC–Sahara JV Hits New Milestone in LPG Infrastructure Growth

WAGL Energy Limited, the joint venture between the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) and Sahara Group, has expanded its fleet capacity to more than 160,000 cubic meters, reinforcing its position as one of Africa’s leading suppliers of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG).

Announcing the development on Monday, NNPC said the expansion aligns with its broader strategy to provide affordable, reliable, and cleaner energy to households, businesses, and industries across the continent. The company noted that the move is consistent with Nigeria’s “Decade of Gas” initiative, which seeks to promote wider adoption of LPG in both domestic and industrial applications.

This milestone builds on recent developments. In July 2024, WAGL Energy secured an agreement to manage operations at the Escravos Crude Oil Terminal in Delta State through NNPC’s downstream subsidiary, the Nigerian Pipelines and Storage Company Limited. Earlier, in May 2022, the joint venture had taken delivery of two 23,000-cubic-meter LPG carriers—MT BARUMK and MT SAPET—from Hyundai MIPO Shipyard in South Korea. That addition raised their joint investment to more than $300 million, edging closer to the $1 billion gas infrastructure target set for 2026.

WAGL Energy, established in 2013, combines NNPC’s infrastructure capacity with Sahara’s trading expertise. The company was created to handle the offtake, marketing, and trading of natural gas liquids under Nigeria’s equity lifting scheme and has since become an important vehicle for expanding LPG penetration and driving the nation’s energy transition.