COP28: Cross River signs agreement for rollout of EVs for mass transportation

Foreign Desk 

The Cross River State Government has announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Oando Clean Energy (OCEL) for the rollout of electric vehicles for mass transportation within the state.

The MoU signing took place during the ongoing COP28 Climate Summit being held in Dubai, UAE when Oando Clean Energy hosted a side event at the Nigeria pavilion to showcase its clean energy solutions.

The Commissioner for Special Duties, Mr Oden Ewa, who represented the Cross River State Governor, Bassey Otu, at the MoU signing said that the agreement was a significant step towards achieving a cleaner and more sustainable future for the state.

The agreement also includes the setting up of an electric vehicle (EV) assembly plant in Cross River State as well as the construction of a N100MW wind plant for power generation.

“This landmark agreement marks a significant step forward in Cross River’s journey to a cleaner and more sustainable future.
“The MoU paves the way for the transitioning of our mass transit system to cleaner and less expensive fuels whilst also allowing for the use of our natural resource, wind, to provide electrification for our people.
“I commend Oando Clean Energy for their innovative solutions that address the impact of climate change in Nigeria and her citizens”, Ewa said.

In his remarks during the MoU signing, the President and CEO of OECL, Dr Ainojoe Irune, reiterated the company’s commitment to a cleaner and more sustainable energy future.

“As a company, we are committed to ensuring that this journey to a cleaner and more sustainable energy future is as seamless and as easy as possible. By putting our confidence in, not only the technology but the partnership and ensuring that the Cross River State Government and her people reap the benefits of generating power from sustainable sources.
“Oando Clean Energy’s scope spans the entire 36 states of the federation and the FCT; and with one state at a time, we will create a cleaner, more viable energy ecosystem for Nigeria and our people,” Dr. Irune said.

At the event, the company showcased the milestones it has recorded in terms of sustainable energy projects, encompassing Sustainable Transport, Waste to Value, Wind, Geothermal and Solar.

OECL also revealed the successful outcomes from the 90-day Proof of Concept (PoC) phase of the electric mass transit buses deployed in Lagos State, in partnership with Lagos State and the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA).

According to the form, the PoC yielded among others, the following: covering over 43,800 kilometres, carrying over 73,000 passengers, saving 21,000 litres of diesel and curbing 57.8 tons in CO2 emissions.

The OECL further disclosed that the partnership with Lagos State and LAMATA would progress to the pilot phase following the success achieved at the PoC phase.

Credit: Nairametrics