*Waltersmith eyes production of 1000MW from renewable
By Emeka UGWUANYI
Nigeria’s oil and gas industry players want the government to start working on Renewable Energy Industry Bill to prevent the long delay associated with the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB).
The move, according to the industry players, becomes necessary so that the energy transition sweeping across the world doesn’t take Nigeria unawares. Some Independent oil companies are already taking proactive measures as most oil majors are becoming energy companies.
The Chief Executive Officer of Waltersmith Petroman Oil Limited, Engr Chike Nwosu, revealed this yesterday during a panel session in the Women Leadership Programme entitled “Promoting innovation through diversity and inclusion for energy security” at the ongoing conference and exhibition of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Nigerian Chapter at Eko Hotel in Lagos.
Nwosu noted that Waltersmith has transited into an Energy Company and from its current 300 megawatts (MW) of gas power, they are looking at production of 1000MW from renewable.
Nwosu said: “The Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mallam Mele Kyari, at the opening ceremony of this conference said the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) is a gas bill.
It means that policy wise it is going to drive the energy transition from dirtier fossil fuels into gas. What we need to start doing collectively and driven by organisations like women in energy and Renewable Energy Association of Nigeria is to start advocacy and working on Renewable Energy Industry Bill. This is because if we don’t start working it now, it will take a long time like what happened to the PIB so that energy transition will not hit us hard.
“The best thing we should do is that the Society of Petroleum Engineers, Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists (NAPE) and the Nigerian Gas Association (NGA), among others, come together to start working on renewable energy bill that should cover the entire aspects the PIB supposed to cover. This includes the community impact and outreach like the PIB, which has Host Community Bill, so as we develop the gas, we have to take into account all the parameters that will address environmental and social aspects of the communities.
“The Bill will be able to address all different phases we require to make sure the sustainable development goals (SDGs) we want to do – poverty alleviation, provision of cheap energy, and industrialization. These are from the level of policy and the policy makers will not do that if there is no push.
“The drive will come from the corporate world as obtainable in the developed world. Revolutions, changes and advancements in developed countries have not happened because of government but from corporate world, and that is what we supposed to do. NNPC has a role to play too.
“A lot of organisations are walking that talk. For instance, at Waltersmith Petroman Oil Limited, we have decided that while waiting for government to do what it needs to do, we will do certain things by ourselves. In term of corporate social responsibility, we will deliver renewable power to our communities.
“Our next project as a company is not going to oil and gas, it is going to renewable energies and we are currently working on the feasibility studies. We are going to transit through gas renewables, from 300megawatts (MW) gas power worked on now to 1000MW renewable power, which is part of the strategic roadmap we set in place with the attendant impact on our communitiues.
“On industrialization, we cannot leave it for the government. As a company, we are building a 500- hectare industrial and innovation city. On Monday I went for the signing ceremony with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) of the feasibility studies of the first industrial and innovation city in Imo State in Ohaji local government. This should be the focus of Nigerian private sector organisations.
“Unfortunately, this will not be driven by the International Oil Companies (IOCs). It has to be driven by the Independents. The IOCs have their business plans. They are divesting from the country for their own reasons. I know we are taking up these assets, but as we are taking up these assets, we must understand we are doing it for the benefits of ourselves and not for the benefits of the IOCs. Therefore, the Independent oil companies have to drive this process all through to the end.
“Also, we have to start to impact communities in many positive ways not through artisanship programmes but technical skills acquisition programmes for graduates. That is what we are doing with 200 graduates at Waltersmith.”
