The Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Mallam Mele Kyari has said that modern day energy transition is hinged on the desire to shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources.
Kyari said this on Monday, 1st February2021 at the 1st Quarter 2021 Public Lecture Series of Usman Danfodiyo University, Sokoto where he delivered a lecture titled “Navigating Energy Transition & the Imperatives of University-Industry Collaboration.”
He said that the movers of this interest are motivated by among others, the quest for sustainable energy supply, Climate change considerations, enabling technologies, innovations and the overall socio-economic impact of the transition.
Excerpts are major take home from the lecture:
“The later discovery of crude oil as an important energy source of the 20th century has supported tremendous economic and technological growth the world has ever seen.
“The modern world has found significant application of natural gas in a variety of industrial processes including power generation, petrochemicals and autogas.
“Scientific development and advancement in technology have over the years shaped the dominance of oil as the primary energy source and as a game changer in the progress of human society.
“The oil industry has changed the fortunes of both producing and consuming Nations, creating wealth and prosperity that catalysed the growth of other sectors of the global economy.
“The Growth of the oil industry is in many ways associated with the industry’s strategic role of powering the global economy and the collaborative interests of key stakeholders including policy makers, the Academia, manufacturers and other experts that shape the direction of the industry and continuously improve capabilities across exploration, deep offshore access, shale oil production, oil and gas processing and transportation. This type of collaborative trend is again critical in navigating the next energy transition.
“For the largest part of history, the period of change from one main energy source to another is commonly referred to as ENERGY TRANSITION. Modern day energy transition is hinged on the desire to shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources.
“Movers of this interest are motivated by among others, the quest for sustainable energy supply, Climate change considerations, enabling technologies, innovations and the overall socio-economic impact of the transition.
“It is believed that further diversification of energy sources will improve global access to energy and reduce the absolute number of people without access to energy especially in developing countries.
“This new energy transition must be fashioned towards creating a balanced landscape that supports the development and energy needs of diverse groups of people across the planet.
“As global energy consumption grows from 2018 levels by about 50% by 2050, it is apparent that oil and gas will continue to be a crucial component of the world’s future energy.
“The world will keep burning significant proportion of fossil fuels to sustain the anticipated progress and growth, especially in Asia and Africa.
“Global transition to renewable energy will definitely continue to gain momentum, but the pace may not be fast enough to offset the impacts of worldwide economic expansion and population growth.
“The Oil and Gas Industry alone cannot drive substantial innovation without sustained collaboration with universities, research institutes, manufacturers, policy makers and regulators.
“African Governments and institutions must therefore rise to the occasion, to leverage technology and innovation to support energy sufficiency, industrialization, job creation and economic growth.
“Building on the convergence of new technologies and innovative business models, NNPC as Africa’s biggest National Oil Company is set to play an important role in the future of energy. NNPC has set the necessary machineries to lead Africa in transition to low-carbon energy and renewables.”
“NNPC welcomes beneficial relationship with the Academia and Industry Experts who demonstrate capacity for productive research and innovation in the energy sector.”
