Adedapo Adesanya
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG), Mr Philip Mshelbila, has told European investors that the country’s 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.
He said this during the visit of a delegation from the European Union (EU) in Nigeria to NLNG’s plant on Bonny Island, Rivers State over the weekend. The delegation, led by the EU in Nigeria Commissioner for Energy, Ms Kadri Simson, was received by Mr Mshelbila; Mr Nnamdi Anowi, General Manager, Production; Mr Andy Odeh, General Manager, External Relations and Sustainable Development, and other management staff.
Mr 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 potential 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.
The NLNG helmsman 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 per cent complete and would 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.
On her part, the EU Commissioner for Energy in Nigeria, Ms Kadri Simson, commended NLNG’s business model saying the bloc 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 EU, but there is potential to do more – in particular between now and 2027,” she stated.
