As a global leader in flare gas to power generation solutions, Aggreko is well positioned to help its clients navigate the challenges of the energy transition. Oil Review Middle East spoke to Robbie Pond, the company’s head of Sector - Oil and Gas (Middle East) to find out more
Pond points out that, while the term energy transition may have only recently become common currency, Aggreko has in fact been involved in flare gas to power for around 12 years now.
“We have done more than 200 projects around the world, taking this waste gas and putting it to good use, rather than venting or flaring it, whether it be powering our clients’ operations, converting it to energy to sell back to the grid, even doing what we call virtual pipelines where we can move that gas, if it is stranded commercial gas, to different parts of the country where it is needed, to power homes and businesses.
“It’s a clever solution, part of the circular economy, and a quick win in that there’s no big capex spend. When you compare this to some longer-term green energy solutions which take time to develop, test, build and commission, it’s something that can be implemented very quickly and makes a big impact as a bridge to net zero.”
Aggreko has just announced that it has completed commissioning of its biggest flare gas to power project in the region to date, in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, where it was contracted to provide 165 MW of power.
“That is huge, it’s a big flagship project which involves large civil works and a long-term commitment,” says Pond. “Nevertheless, it has been fast to implement. Within six months of the mega project being awarded, we were on the ground providing half of that power straight away, and we have been ramping up on a regular basis.”
“In 2020 around 878 mn cubic feet a day was flared in the GCC. That’s around 3.5 GW of potential power, enough to power around seven million homes,” he points out. “Many of the national and international oil companies in the region are making positive steps, but a lot of those steps are large capex-intensive projects, whereas we can help that transition and step in with a temporary solution or whatever they need to help them get there quicker, providing value not only to the company but to their country. The power doesn’t have to be used in the client’s own operations; it can be used to support remote towns, villages, etc.”
Aggreko is now focused on positioning itself for the energy transition. “We’re committed to net zero by 2030 internally, and across all our services by 2050. So measures such as moving away from diesel to cleaner fuels such as gas and biogases and even hydrogen and solar power, are a priority for us.”
You can see the full interview in the latest edition of Oil Review Middle East, https://www.oilreviewmiddleeast.com/current-issue
