South Africa: Oil & Gas Companies Will Drive Energy Transition – Dr. Oppong

Petroleum Economist and Chief Executive Officer of the Association of Oil Marketing Companies in the Republic of Ghana, Dr Riverson Oppong, has noted that climate change and sustainability are not new topics for the oil and gas industry and cited the peak oil concept as a classic example.

The peak oil concept refers to the hypothetical point in time when global oil production reaches its maximum rate, after which production will irreversibly decline.

This concept is based on M. King Hubbert’s 1956 model, which predicted that US oil production would peak around 1970.

To Dr Riverson Oppong, the argument about energy transition should revolve around Just Energy Transition and not asking Africans to abandon their oil and gas resources.

Speaking during the just-ended African Energy Week in Cape Town, South Africa, Dr Oppong noted that oil and gas companies like BP, Shell, TotalEnergies and Saudi Aramco have already taken significant steps towards energy transition by implementing initiatives aimed at reducing emissions and fostering sustainable practices across the continent.

Currently, BP is investing in solar and wind projects in Egypt, South Africa and Morocco, while Shell is also developing solar and wind farms in South Africa, Nigeria and Morocco.

While TotalEnergies is expanding solar and wind energy in South Africa, Morocco and Senegal, Saudi Aramco, on the other hand, is partnering on renewable energy projects in Egypt in line with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 agenda.

Touching on emissions, Dr Oppong noted that the transport sector alone is responsible for nearly 50% of emissions, driven not only by fuel type but also by the age and efficiency of vehicle engines.

To tackle these emissions, he proposed several solutions, including the adoption of 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗻𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗴𝗮𝘀 (𝗖𝗡𝗚), 𝗯𝗶𝗼𝗳𝘂𝗲𝗹𝘀, 𝗹𝗼𝘄-𝘀𝘂𝗹𝗳𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝘂𝗲𝗹𝘀, 𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰 𝘃𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗹𝗲𝘀, 𝗲𝘁𝗰.

He also addressed home-cooking practices, advocating liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) as a cleaner fuel alternative.

Delving into what drives our choice of fuels, known as the 3 A’s: 𝗔𝘃𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗔𝗳𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆, he highlighted how demand for energy would inevitably increase in Africa due to population growth.

“It’s my belief that through concerted efforts and the implementation of forward-thinking initiatives, we can create a sustainable energy future for Africa,” he said.

Source: https://energynewsafrica.com