Piped Natural Gas for Food, Beverage and FMCG Factories
A food or beverage plant needs two things from its energy: steam and heat for the process, and reliable power for lines, chillers and cold rooms. Both usually come from diesel today. Piped natural gas feeds the boiler and the generator from one metered pipeline, burns without soot in a hygiene-controlled plant, and never arrives late.
Where the energy goes in a food, beverage and fmcg plant
Food, beverage and consumer-goods plants spread their energy across many smaller loads rather than one large furnace. That makes reliability and cleanliness as important as price:
- Steam boilers. Cooking, pasteurising, sterilising, CIP cleaning and bottle washing all run on steam from fire-tube boilers currently fired on diesel or LPFO.
- Ovens, fryers and dryers. Bakery ovens, snack fryers, spray dryers and roasters that fire directly, where clean combustion matters.
- Captive power. Filling and packaging lines, compressors, refrigeration and cold rooms that cannot tolerate grid outages, so the plant runs its own generation.
- Cold chain. Chillers and freezer stores that must hold temperature through every outage, which makes the generator fuel supply a food-safety issue.
What changes, load by load
Most of the plant stays exactly as it is. The fuel changes, and with it the burner or the engine that uses it. Diesel today is around ₦1,800 per litre at the pump before transport, storage and losses.
| Load | Today | On piped gas | Change needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam boiler | Diesel or LPFO burner | Natural gas burner | Burner and fuel-train swap on the existing boiler |
| Ovens, fryers, dryers | Diesel or LPG | Natural gas | Burner swap, piped to point of use |
| Captive power | Diesel generators | Gas engines or bi-fuel sets | New gas sets or conversion of existing sets |
| Cold-chain standby | Diesel generators | Gas engines | Same supply, no fuel to store |
How much gas a plant like yours needs
Boilers are usually the largest single load. A 2 tonne-per-hour steam boiler needs on the order of 0.1 to 0.15 MMSCFD at full fire, and captive power adds roughly 0.2 to 0.25 MMSCFD per megawatt of continuous load. A typical food or beverage plant lands between 0.2 and 1 MMSCFD, and a brewery or large bottling plant can exceed that. Your Energy Data Form records the boiler rating, running hours and generator load so we can size the connection precisely.
What piped gas changes for food, beverage and fmcg
Hygiene
Gas burns without soot or spilled fuel, so there is no diesel smell, no oily residue near product and no fuel tanks inside the food-safety perimeter.
Reliability
No tanker, no storage, no pilferage. The cold chain stays on through every grid outage.
Cost
Fuel cost typically falls 40 to 55 percent against diesel, which matters in a sector where margins are thin and energy is often the second largest cost after raw materials.
Audits
Many buyers and certification schemes ask about energy and emissions. A documented switch from diesel to natural gas is a straightforward answer.
Distribution areas for this sector
Food and beverage plants cluster in and around Asaba on our Ibusa and Asaba corridor, in Awka, and among the agro-processors on the Oghara-Sapele corridor. Gasland Horizon is the exclusive franchise holder for piped natural gas distribution in each of these zones, in joint venture with NNPC Gas Marketing Limited. See all distribution areas.
Questions from food, beverage and fmcg operators
Yes. The boiler shell stays. The burner, fuel train and controls are replaced with natural gas equipment, which is a routine conversion for fire-tube steam boilers. Dual-fuel burners are also available if you want to keep diesel as a backup during the transition.
Natural gas is the standard fuel for food plants worldwide. It is lighter than air, is odorised, burns without residue and needs no storage tanks on site. The supply is metered and regulated at your boundary, and the internal pipework is installed to the same standards as any other utility.
From your Energy Data Form, which captures boiler ratings, generator sizes, fuel consumption and running hours. We compare your current fuel bill with piped gas at your volume and return a site-specific figure. It is free and carries no obligation.
Other sectors: all manufacturing, power generation and IPPs, industrial parks, hotels and commercial.
Ready to cut your energy costs?
Complete the Energy Data Form or call +234 802 292 2952. We reply within three business days.