The Environmental Challenges in the Oil & Gas Industry & It’s Future in a Cleaner Energy Mix — By Amah Onyedikachi

Recommendations

• The Government of Nigeria and leading Oil and Gas corporations should start investing in a wider range of technologies like the Carbon Capture and Storage (CCUS) which involves the capture, transport, utilization and storage of CO2 produced by fossil fuels during electricity generation or industrial processes. This technology is very efficient and can capture up to 90% of CO2 released during burning of fossil fuels. The captured carbon can either be stored and used for something more productive.
• Oil producing companies in Nigeria should transition from the production of conventional fuel like petrol and diesel to biofuels like bioethanol (form of renewable energy that can be produced from agricultural feedstocks) and biodiesel (form of renewable and clean-burning fuel that is made from waste vegetable oils, animal fats, or recycled restaurant grease) which are cleaner, biodegradable and more efficient.
• The government should also come to the aid of oil and gas producing companies in Nigeria by providing funds for them to help make the transition into producing cleaner forms of energy a lot easier and faster.
• The Government of Nigeria should join other leaders, governments and big corporations across the globe inintroducing a ban on all petrol and diesel cars by 2030. This will encourage the use of cleaner and sustainable forms of fuel.
• The government of Nigeria and other big energy companies in Nigeria should begin to invest in the production of Electric Vehicles (EV) and Electric Vehicle charging infrastructure/ Stations, utilities and battery technologies, for road, marine and even air transport.