By Chioma Obinagwam
The Decade of Gas plan is the most comprehensive plan to restore efforts to fully harness Nigeria’s vast gas resources and ensure a reliable global supply of gas as a clean energy source and a major fuel in the energy transition mix, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG), Dr. Philip Mshelbila, has said.
NLNG told Confiance News in a statement on Sunday.
He said this during the visit of a delegation from the European Union (E.U.) in Nigeria to NLNG’s plant on Bonny Island, Rivers State over the weekend. The delegation, led by the E.U. in Nigeria Commissioner for Energy, Ms. Kadri Simson, was received by Dr. Mshelbila; Nnamdi Anowi, General Manager, Production; Andy Odeh, General Manager, External Relations and Sustainable Development and other management staff.
Briefing the delegation on NLNG’s operations and business, Dr. Mshelbila pointed out that there were plans to address the root causes of issues in the gas sector, adding that what is needed to complete the plan is the firm will of all stakeholders and urgent action. He stated that the remedy to industry challenges lies in a concentrated effort on making the gas sector work as the country has huge potentials as the 6th nation with the largest natural gas reserves.
“Our commitment to harnessing the immense potential of natural gas will not only restore Nigeria’s reputation as a major energy powerhouse but also propel us towards a cleaner, greener future. With innovation, collaboration by stakeholders, including the government and investors, especially from Europe, and unwavering determination, we can shape the energy landscape of tomorrow, create more opportunities for gas supply globally, drive economic prosperity, create jobs, and mitigate environmental challenges through gas,” he said.
Dr. Mshelbila further highlighted that investment in Nigeria’s gas sector would wield a far-reaching influence on the global gas and LNG supply landscape, ensuring the world has continuous access to reliable and environmentally sound energy throughout the ongoing energy transition.
He stated that the Train 7 project was about 50% complete and will bolster NLNG’s production capacity to 30 million Tonnes Per Annum (MTPA) upon completion. He added that NLNG is working on a plan to decarbonise and stated that NLNG was also looking to the future for further expansion with more trains, which would act as catalysts for the continued advancement of the gas sector.
Responding to the presentation, the E.U. Commissioner for Energy in Nigeria, Ms. Kadri Simson, commended NLNG’s business model.
“The E.U. is accelerating its energy transition, but we also have a need to reinforce our ties with reliable LNG partners like Nigeria in the short-term horizon. This helps us to bridge part of the gap left by former Russian imports while we gradually transition away from fossil fuels. Nigeria has proven to be a reliable partner, and last year, 9.4 bcm of LNG was exported from Nigeria to the E.U. But there is potential to do more – in particular between now and 2027,” she stated.
During the visit, the delegation took a tour of the Central Control Room (CCR), the plant complex and the Train 7 construction site.
NLNG is owned by four Shareholders, namely, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (49%), Shell Gas B.V. (25.6%), TotalEnergies Gaz & Electricite Holdings (15%), and Eni International N.A. N. V. S.àr.l (10.4%).
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