Nigeria Upholds Methanol Fuel Production To Reduce Carbon Emission
Princess-Ekwi Ajide Abuja
As part of its National Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement, the Federal Government of Nigeria has announced adoption of the National Policy on Methanol Fuel Production Technology which aims to reduce carbon emissions in Nigeria .
The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, Mrs. Monilola Udoh, who made the announcement at the opening ceremony for the training on the implementation of the National Policy on Methanol Fuel Production Strategy using Dassault Systems Solid Works Technology in Abuja, said the tools will enable Nigeria implement all the global conventions under the Paris Agreement.
Nigeria has the ninth largest proven natural gas reserves in the world, with approximately 200 trillion cubic feet but only 25% of the reserves are presently being developed, and so far, the country has not benefited from the raw materials value chain industry catalyzation as in some OPEC member states, where in country human capacity building and industrialization have been by-products of the exploitation resources.
According to Mrs. Udoh, owing to a lack of utilization infrastructure, the country still flares billions of cubic feet of the natural gas it produces.
She noted that with the present commitment under the Nationally Determined Contribution, Nigeria will cut emissions by 45 per cent in the strategic sector linked to the nation’s continued economic survival, hence the National Policy on Methanol Fuel Production Technology issued by government recently.
The oil and gas industry is the backbone of the Nigerian economy, but with the shift towards renewable and clean energy sources, it is imperative that Nigeria diversifies its energy sources and Methanol fuel production is a viable option that has the potential to benefit the Nigerian economy and environment in several ways if appropriately implemented.
