KWASU Unveils Four Converted Electric Engine Vehicles, One CNG Bus – THISDAYLIVE

Hammed Shittu in Ilorin Authorities of Kwara State University (KWASU), Malete at the weekend unveiled four buses that were converted into electric engines and one car with Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) as part of effort to cushion the effects of the fuel price hike in the country. Already, the institution has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with two Chinese firms, namely: Zhejiang Sinray Electronics Limited and Jiaxing Keyuan Electronics Limited so as to ensure the production of customized KWASU conversion kits that will be of high quality with a considerable market price for the people of the country.

The Vice Chancellor of the institution, Professor Luqman Jimoh, stated this in Ilorin while addressing newsmen on the new feats recorded by the management of the institution. He said that, "the institution has a center for Sustainable Energy where we have some qualified engineers that worked for the conversion of our buses from petrol engine into Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) engine and electric engine". Prof Jimoh said that, "When our engineers finished the conversion, we have to take it to Government House for the governor to see what we have done in the University and which the govenor applauded and promised to support us for further initiatives on the new feats.

"The Governor later introduced us to some ministries in the state especially the Ministry of Business and Innovation and we are now paternering with the ministry since the the ministry has given the University three buses to be converted from petrol engines to electric engines. "Apart from the one bus that was converted from petrol to electric, the university has also converted a Toyota Hilux car from petrol to Compressed Natural Gas(CNG) while another three buses from the ministry of Business and Innovation have been done successfully for the ministry". He added, "The Governor later told the university to train more engineers on CNG and this led the university management to send some of our engineers out to garner more exposures on the CNG conversion

"The Governor also facilitated the Kwara Express Buses for the university at least 22 of them to be converted into electric engine. "The institution has now answered the call for alternative sources of energy in view of the present increase in the prices of fuel in Nigeria. The opportunity is now for the people to make choice of either using petrol or using CNG or electric to power our vehicles.

"And so far between now and last year these are the efforts of the University that will want the members of the public to know and to benefit from our new feats in the institution". Prof. Jimoh therefore said that the management of the institution has signed MoU with the two Chinese firms so as to provide quality kits for the CNG conversion that will be customised for the institution.

Also speaking at the event, Chief Technologist in KWASU's Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Mr Abdulazeez Akande, who spoke on the environmental and economic benefits of the conversion projects, said Carbon emissions from vehicles have contributed significantly to ozone layer depletion.

He said: "The rising petrol prices have forced many people to park their vehicles.

CNG offers a cost-effective alternative, providing up to 80 per cent savings compared to traditional fuel."