The Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abbas, on Tuesday inaugurated an optimised system house for the production of ozone-friendly polyurethane at Vitapur Nigeria Limited, a subsidiary of Vitafoam Nigeria Plc, in Lagos.

In a statement on Wednesday, Abbas highlighted that the project was executed under Stage I of the Hydrochlorofluorocarbon Phase-Out Management Plan in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme. The upgrade supports the formulation of climate-friendly methyl formate-based pre-blended polyol, an alternative to the ozone-depleting HCFC-141b-based polyols traditionally used in rigid foam production.

Abbas noted that the project included the provision of trial chemicals, equipment such as blending tanks, smoke detectors, and electrical control panel accessories, as well as enhancements to Vitapur’s laboratory with advanced equipment, including flash point testers, titrators, and k-value testers.

“With this project now completed, Vitapur has entirely phased out the use of ozone-depleting HCFC-141b in its operations. It will also support downstream end-users in transitioning away from HCFC-141b in their rigid foam production,” Abbas said. He added that the project has resulted in the phase-out of 301.32 metric tonnes of HCFC-141b in Nigeria’s rigid polyurethane foam sector, aligning the country with its obligations under the Montreal Protocol.

The Minister further revealed that the Vitapur project is one of only two of its kind in Africa, with the other located in South Africa. He said the optimised system house would ensure a steady supply of ozone-friendly, low-global-warming-potential polyol chemicals, supporting the growth of green jobs, environmental responsibility, and potential foreign exchange earnings.

In his welcome remarks, Vitafoam Nigeria Plc Chairman, Zakari Sada, lauded the collaboration between industry stakeholders, international organisations, and the Nigerian government, urging support for policies to expand sandwich panel production across the country.

Additionally, the Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Vitafoam Nigeria, Taiwo Adeniyi, described the launch as a historic milestone for the company and the nation.