SUSTAINABLE ENERGY ANALYSIS OF NIGERIAN ROAD TRANSPORTATION SECTOR: EFFECTS OF INFLUENCED FUEL DEMAND PATTERNS

I. Badmus; W. A. Alao; M. T. Ajala; N. A. Olalere; A. O. Akinleye

I. Badmus Department of Mechanical Engineering, Yaba College of Technology, Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria
W. A. Alao Department of Industrial Maintenance Engineering Yaba College of Technology, Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria
M. T. Ajala Department of Industrial Maintenance Engineering Yaba College of Technology, Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria
N. A. Olalere Department of Industrial Maintenance Engineering Yaba College of Technology, Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria
A. O. Akinleye Department of Industrial Maintenance Engineering Yaba College of Technology, Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria

Keywords: Improvement Potential, Exergy Efficiency, Road Transportation, Fuel Demand, Fuel Subsidy, Sustainable Energy

Abstract

Petrol and diesel utilisations in the Nigerian road transportation sector have been assessed, using exergy efficiency and improvement potential as parameters. The mean petrol engine exergy efficiency was 13.05%, while that of diesel engines was 10.79%. The average improvement potential of petrol engines was 2.07×10¹¹ MJ, which was 75.6% of average input exergy. Diesel engines had an average improvement potential of 5.15×10¹⁰ MJ, which was 69.2% of average input exergy. Practical constancy of the exergy efficiencies of the engines left input exergy values as the sole determining factors of improvement potentials of the systems. Petrol fuel was found to be utilised, away from sustainable path, more than diesel fuel. This observation was found attributable to subsidisation of petrol downstream sector and simultaneous deregulation of the diesel downstream sector as well as the preponderance of petrol engines in the road transportation sector. In conclusion, it was recommended that a mechanism be put in place to check the unsustainable petrol fuel utilisation in the transport sector.