Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is steadily commanding a growing importance by playing a characteristic vital intermediary role in the ongoing global energy transition process, and in the energy supply chain towards the actualisation of global energy security and sustainability. In the ongoing world energy transition programme, initiated to mitigate global warming by the reduction of carbon emissions generated from fossil based energy sources like hydrocarbons or petroleum resources (which include oil and gas) and coals, is a global initiative that engages all other sources of energy that are not hydrocarbons but renewable based sources. This energy transition process involves transforming the mode of sourcing substrates from traditional dirty energy based sources (fossil) that generate the greenhouse gas or carbon dioxide that trap excessive heat over the atmosphere; in exchange for renewable sources like solar, wind, hydrogen/ammonia, geothermal, and hydro, that are scientifically recyclable, and are also cleaner sources that do not pollute the environment, nor unnecessarily heat up the ecosystem, in the course of their utilisation. In discussing energy security and the aspect of achieving net zero target towards mitigating global warming by 2030, or not beyond 2050, the critical role of natural gas and LNG (vis-a-viz the evolving opportunities and challenges) cannot be overemphasised, as a key part of the future global energy mix. Natural gas, although fossil sourced, is a relatively cleaner energy source, when compared with oil and coal.
The utilisation and consumption of natural gas in commercial quantities substantially revolves around the critical production and strategic consumption of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and compressed natural gas (CNG). This is within the energy mix mode of the global energy supply value chain that adequately aligns with the energy security plan for actualisation of the overall energy sustainability in terms of the global collective battle against climate change through the energy transition initiative. In balancing energy production and consumption with environmental responsibility, strategic actions are being taken in different global locations, with critical consideration of the financial health of certain world economies. This points to the need for investigation on economic performances, with a view to addressing the challenges of energy insecurity or energy poverty in such economies that could further exacerbate the economic situations or direct challenges facing (worsening) the vulnerable persons that are obviously incapacitated (with respect to insufficient power supplies) to carry on their daily economic and commercial activities. Such a scenario, with inadequate power supply to positively drive people’s respective/personal economies, could end up throwing them into a deeper poverty situation, eventually resulting in low productivity. Such an energy supply gap challenge in the affected economies of the world, especially as it pertains to poorer nations, could be ameliorated through the application of an energy mix mode where CNG (particularly) could be significantly utilised to fill up the energy poverty gap, even in this era of global energy transition. This is because CNG is a cleaner energy that is environmentally friendly (although it is fossil sourced).
Responsible energy practices, however, could still be possibly applied, in the course of utilising natural gas for energy consumption in the energy mix mode, considering environmental compliance in alignment with the contemporary climate change adaptation plan. It requires exploring energy strategies that would not violate the energy transition agreements; that could be innovatively guided and controlled in the energy mix portfolio, in keeping with the United Nations energy consumption agreements that support carbon emissions reduction as part of the commitments that shape applied approach to reduction of carbon footprint or realizable carbon neutrality; while ensuring global energy sustainability. Engaging natural gas among the energy sources (in the energy mix module) as the globe transits to carbon neutrality status on global energy security supply value chain with full adherence to the climate change mitigation and adaptation programmes, demands full blown innovative strategies that apply a proactive optimal procedures on when, where and what quantities of the natural gas sourced energy (like the CNG) in order to remain focused and maintain the course for the roadmap to net zero target. This position is a step forward in the ongoing decarbonization process of the ecosystem while the world still accommodates a part of the fossil sourced energy substrate (natural gas) that is a cleaner energy source in the energy mix supply value chain.
However, for Nigeria’s economy, being among the poorer nations of the world, with respect to energy generation, supply and consumption, as the world contends with moves to maintain global energy security and energy sustainability, in an era of Climate Change challenges threatening the planet earth, natural gas utilisation within the economy will not in any way, jeopardize the ongoing global initiative of actualising the net zero target. It is therefore, professionally necessary to offer developing countries (especially in Africa) informed opinion and encourage energy regulators in those countries to optimally utilise natural gas (to bridge any eventual energy poverty gap in their economies) in addition to other renewable energy based sources in those countries’ respective energy mix portfolios; … to close the energy insecurity supply gap by continued utilisation of natural gas, pending when they will fully transit and terminate all fossil based energy sources (within the timeline as signed in the multilateral agreement on Climate Change mitigation and adaptation project, through energy transition).
