EMMANUEL NLEWEDUM, Port Harcourt
The 8th edition of the Energy Summit organised by Solewant Group of companies in Rivers State has ended with a call on the Federal government to invest massively in Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and other clean energy solutions for the clean energy transition.
Trinidad and Tobago High Commissioner to Nigeria, Engr. Wendell De Landro, made the call alongside other experts and stakeholders in the oil and gas industry during the energy summit with the theme: “Pioneering Technology and Innovation for Transition to Sustainable Energy Development in Africa,” held at the premises of Solewant Group in Alode, Eleme local government area of the state.
De Landro, in his paper presentation titled; “Unlocking Gas Potential as Catalyst for Energy Transition in Africa,” urged the Nigerian government to stop gas flaring in the country by both indigenous and international oil companies.
He said, just like his own country, Nigeria and other African countries must start utilising their abundant hydrocarbon resources to effectively transit from fossil fuel exploration to clean energy.
De Landro, stressed the need for Nigeria to build gas-gathering stations to store its abundant gas and adopt clean energy solutions.
He added that if things were to be done rightly, and clean energy initiatives are prioritised over fossil fuel exploration, Nigeria ought to be leading the African continent instead of South Africa.
Also, in his paper presentation titled “Exploring Oil Sector Innovations for Energy Transition in Africa,” the Dean of the School of Engineering Technology, Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), Prof. Remigius Uche, noted that Africa’s experience has proven that the continued use of fossil fuels as the primary energy source had failed to address the continent’s energy challenges, especially in Nigeria.
The professor of mechanical engineering stated that despite possessing about 125 billion barrels of oil reserves, which constitute about 7.2 percent of the world’s total crude, and 17.89 trillion standard cubic meters of gas as reported in 2023, Africa’s per capita energy consumption is lower than the global average.
He stated that for Nigeria and Africa to effectively achieve their energy transition plans, they must adopt a robust sustainable development strategy and utilise emerging and clean energy sources such as Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), and carbon capture technologies, for which the resources are abundant.
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s Senate President, Senator God’swill Akpabio, Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN) and other stakeholders in the Oil and Gas industry have commended the bold initiative of the Group in organising the event, describing the company as a trailblazer.
Senator Akpabio lauded Solewant Group for locally producing concrete coated pipes that were previously imported into the country, thereby creating employment and wealth.
The Senate President, represented by the Senate Deputy Minority Whip, Senator Osita Ogbu said the theme of the event, ‘Pioneering Technology and Innovation for Transition to Sustainable Energy Development in Africa,’ underscores the vision of Nigeria to unlock the oil and gas industry to the nation’s advantage.
“Technology can be the answer to this feat, so partnering with the academia is plausible.
“As policymakers we will continue to formulate policies to achieve the transition,” the Senate President said.
In his goodwill message, the PETAN National Chairman, Engr Wole Ogunsanya said he is proud of Solewant Group as a key PETAN member, noting that PETAN will continue to partner with it to retain the energy in the country.
He said countries with abundant energy are living better than others without it, pointing out that it is when energy produced are used locally that the nation can maximally enjoy its endowment.
“It makes no sense to import these pipes that are produced by Solewant in country. That is the essence of this summit, so PETAN members are ensuring that Nigeria creates value for utilisation, thereby domiciling it in the country,” Engr Ogunsanya posited.
Earlier in his address, the Managing Director of Solewant Group, Mr. Solomon Ewanehi, said the summit was aimed at advancing innovation, collaboration, and sustainability in Africa’s energy sector, reflecting the company’s unwavering commitment to driving transformation in the energy landscape.
He said the event was also targeted to promote initiatives that reduces environmental impact, enhance energy equity, ensure long-term resource availability, and as well foster collaboration among Stakeholders, hence the government, private enterprise, academia and international partners are participating in the summit.
The CEO said the services of his company centre on providing a diverse range of specialised services to meet the critical needs of the oil and gas industry. Such services, he said include pipe milling and supply,pipe coating solutions,custom coating services, fabrication and construction services. Others he said are, pipeline maintenance and protection, as well as specialized laboratory services.
He noted that Solewant Group has successfully delivered high impact projects to virtually all the International Oil Companies (IOCs), such as Total, Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), Chevron, NLNG and ExxonMobil, among others.
The Solewant Group MD identified stiff competition from IOCs, building local capacity, regulatory & market complexity and infrastructural development as some of the challenges confronting his organization. He added that his company has been able to address them to forge ahead.
Ewanehi said: “With the theme for this year’s summit, the event underscores the urgent need for adaptable, forward-thinking solutions that meet Africa’s unique energy demands while supporting global sustainability goals.”
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