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AfrElec GAS GENERATOIN AfrElec

TotalEnergies rep says gas is

Nigeria’s best option

NIGERIA VICTOR Bandele, deputy managing director for hydrocarbons. He stressed, though, that this shift
deepwater operations at TotalEnergies Nigeria, away from liquids, which currently account for a
said on July 4 that his company saw natural gas larger share of the global energy mix, would not
as Nigeria’s best option for expanding access to discourage the French giant from investing in oil
electricity while keeping carbon emissions in projects in Nigeria and elsewhere.
check. Indeed, he said, TotalEnergies actually hopes
Speaking at the 2022 Nigerian Oil and Gas to increase its oil and gas production levels over
(NOG) Conference in Abuja, Bandele expressed the next five years. “The only difference is that
support for the government’s energy strategy, now there is a level of responsible approach to
saying that TotalEnergies hoped to be an active that, which means we focus on value by select-
partner in efforts to reduce energy poverty. “The ing low-cost development that is the most effi-
federal government of Nigeria has set a target of cient in terms of greenhouse gas emissions,” he
providing electricity access to 80% of our popu- explained.
lation by 2030. It is something that should spur Nigeria is part of this development strategy,
us as an industry to work with the direction of he emphasised. “In Nigeria, we are present in the
the government,” he said. “We in TotalEnergies upstream, the midstream and the downstream.
are willing to partner with the government to You cannot get away from us and we cannot get
advance these ambitions to make it a reality.” away from you,” he remarked. “What it means
He also stated that the French major was is that we are fully integrated in Nigeria. As I
committed to limiting greenhouse gas (GHG) speak, we produce more than 20% of total oil
emissions in Nigeria but asserted that natural gas in Nigeria. We are the second highest producer
was the most realistic option on this front. “In and supplier of gas to the Nigerian population
Nigeria, we believe that we need to push more for and the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas Ltd
gas. We need to stake our focus on gas because [NLNG]. We have more than 530 filling stations
it is the transition fuel for Nigeria,” he declared. all across Nigeria and about 30% of them have
“So we are going to put more emphasis on gas been installed with solar panels, so they generate
development and we are going to do that in their energy through solar power.”
very pragmatic and deliberate ways. To achieve He also drew attention to TotalEnergies’ plan
these objectives, there should be a responsible to invest in the development of the Ikike project
approach to possibilities.” in Nigeria, noting that this scheme would raise
By 2050, Bandele added, TotalEnergies the country’s oil output by around 50,000 barrels
expects the global energy mix to consist of per day (bpd).™
about 40% renewables, 40% gas and 20% liquid

P12 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 27 07•July•2022