The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) in Abuja on Wednesday said the world needs a clean energy revolution in order to break its inordinate dependence on fossil energy fuels.

Group Managing Director, NNPC, Maikanti Baru, who was Distinguished Lecturer at the 12th Mechanical Engineers Distinguished Lecture, an event organised by the Nigerian Institution of Mechanical Engineers, a division of the Nigerian Society of Engineers also stressed the need to grow the renewable energy market in Nigeria in an effort to move towards cleaner sources of power.

He stated that revolution would enhance global energy security, promote enduring economic growth and tackle environmental challenges, and break the long-standing link between economic growth and carbon dioxide emission levels.

Baru said: “Nigeria on its part is endowed with tremendous prospects of growth in renewable technologies on account of readily available hydroelectric potentials, longer hours of sunshine in the northern part of the country and impressive wind speeds in the coastal and mountainous regions and land mass for the cultivation of energy crops like cassava, sugar cane etc.”

Dr. Baru, in the presentation entitled: Fast Tracking the Paradigm Shift from Fossil Fuel Driven Economy to Renewable Energy noted that the Corporation was favourably disposed to institutional collaboration and academic partnership with universities and research centres in promoting research and innovation aimed of diversifying the energy sector.

Tracing the advent of the consciousness for the development of bio-fuels technology in the country to the establishment of the Renewable Energy Division of the NNPC in August 2005 and the subsequent formulation of the Renewable Energy Master Plan, the NNPC GMD said through the years the Corporation had remained a beacon in the pursuit of alternative energy sources to complement the nation’s massive hydrocarbon base.

He added that ongoing efforts to create a diversified energy base could benefit much from in-country capabilities and ingenious technological support of experts in the areas mechanical and electrical engineering.

Baru listed the required fields of competence to include: system reliability, control theory and modeling stimulation, mechanics-mounting heavy components, designing for shock & vibration, heavy power equipment, as well as skills in enclosure/packing designs.

Other competences required are: skills in magnetics design common in every single solar, wind, electric vehicle and power distribution box; skills in thermodynamics involving thermal and airflow designs; as well as ability to handle rotating machinery and monitor materials reliability and cost.
According to him, NNPC as the leading energy entity in the country was more than ready to partner with the Nigerian engineering community to achieve its mandate.