Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mele Kyari, has canvassed an all-encompassing framework for a sustainable gas supply and stable environment. He said gas was crucial to the country’s energy security and development. Addressing the second biennial International Conference on Hydrocarbon Science and Technology (ICHST) in Effurun, Delta State, Kyari observed that Nigeria’s vast gas reserves were sufficient to drive massive development, hence the urgency to prioritise the commodity’s utilisation.
With the theme, “Optimising gas utilisation and energy transition for sustainable development,” the parley had in attendance experts in oil gas from across Nigeria, including Managing Director of Shell Nigeria Gas Limited (SNG), Ed Ubong; Principal and Chief Executive of Petroleum Training Institute (PTI), Effurun, Dr. Henry A. Adimula; General Manager, Joint Venture Operations in NAPIMS, Atuchi Martina; Profs. Wumi Iledare, I.A. Mohammed-Dabo and Abubakar Sambo.
The NNPC boss said optimising gas utilisation in Nigeria requires appropriate energy and gas policies, multi-stakeholder collaboration, sufficient investment and innovative financial mechanisms, adequate gas production and supply in tandem with demand, while leveraging technology, provision of adequate gas infrastructure and facilities.
Others, according to Kyari, are boosting sectoral gas utilisation through expansion and integration of domestic/regional power grids, growing the gas markets like autogas/natural gas vehicles, collaborative efforts and partnerships between stakeholders, driven by enabling policies and favourable business environment. He stressed that educational institutions have a role to play, tasking them to also evolve as energy landscape. He said: “As we all know, Nigeria has been blessed with natural gas resources in addition to oil, and it currently has a reserve of 206TCF.” This is enough to support developments such as new gas-fired power plants and more than enough to make gas a viable fuel for existing and new industrial facilities.
“In recognition of this fact, the government has aptly termed this period the ‘Decade of Gas.’ “The Nigerian energy transition is anchored on the use of gas as the heart of the transition which is the first step in the journey. Several analyses and projections show that oil and gas still remain a key component of the global energy mix. Therefore, we must ensure an equitable energy transition which must be inclusive, fair and take into cognisance the reality of our economy.”
Kyari listed the benefits of sustainable gas utilisation to include economic growth and stability through employment and curtailment of inflation, growth in industries and manufacturing sector and feedstock for methanol fertilisers and other petrochemicals. Others are cleaner source of energy, reduced deforestation and attainment of net zero emission targets.
Source: The Guardian
https://guardian.ng/news/gas-crucial-to-nigerias-energy-security-nnpc-insists/