By Olivia Nnorom
Sahara Group, a leading energy and infrastructure conglomerate, has become the latest member of CO2CRC, an Australia-based global carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) research organization.
Sahara joined the leading global CCUS research organisation to drive its commitment to reducing its emissions footprint and building a more sustainable business model.
The company’s emissions reduction aspirations will be led by the Sahara Upstream and Sahara Power divisions in Nigeria, with subsequent replication across other divisions and locations.
Matthias Raab, chief executive, CO2CRC, said Sahara Group’s membership was a significant development, explaining that Nigeria, the largest country in Africa with a population of more than 205 million people and a significant oil and gas producer, still faces significant challenges in producing energy for its people while striving to reduce emissions.
Speaking further on the significance of the membership to energy supply in Nigeria, Raab said that as CO2CRC moves towards widespread electrification, Nigeria is a perfect candidate for CCUS on an industrial scale to balance its need for a modern power network that can provide reliable and affordable energy for a country with a population eight times the size of Australia.
“Through our partnership, we will work closely with Sahara Group to understand their aspirations and to ensure our research can facilitate their aim to be an energy provider committed to lowering their emissions. CO2CRC welcomes Sahara Group as a member of CO2CRC and looks forward to supporting their energy transition to a lower emissions future,” Raab said.
Ejiro Gray, director, governance and sustainability, Sahara Group, said the CO2CRC membership reinforces Sahara’s leading role in driving innovation for the transformation of the energy industry in Africa. She also said that Sahara Group’s commitment to the sustainability of the planet, business, and ultimately society, is the driving force for continuous innovation and improvement through the evolution of thought patterns and its business processes.
“Membership will play a major role in steering Nigeria’s energy industry towards emissions reduction and resource efficiency. These are key areas in Sahara’s Environmental Sustainability focus, and a first of its kind on the continent,” Henry Menkiti, chief operating officer, Asharami Energy, a Sahara Group Upstream company, said.
