2022 local content confab, exhibition opens in Takoradi
The 2022 local content conference and exhibition opened yesterday in Takoradi in the Western Region.
It was on the theme Local Content Conference and Exhibition: “Sustaining local content development through enhanced exploration and production activities in the era of energy transition.”
Organised by Petroleum Commission(PC)and partners, the three-day event, would push the frontiers of the local content and exhibition for the citizenry.
Topics to be discussed included building a regional oil and gas business, strategic way forward, role of the academia in sustaining local content development and managing assets in offshore environment and the role of indigenous Ghanaian companies
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) PC, Mr. Egbert Faibille, Jnr, said the theme sought to deepen advocacy for local content development within two contradicting dimensions,that is, to enhance exploration and production activities in the era of an energy transition that seeks to reduce production and consumption of hydrocarbons and other high carbon energy resources.
He noted that, local content development in the upstream oil and gas industry thrived best with increased exploration and production activities where enormous opportunities are created for both local supply chain and employment.
Ghana, Mr Faibille said, had, since the discovery of hydrocarbons in commercial quantities in 2007, made significant strides in taking advantage of local content development opportunities presented by its growing industry.
“Whilst on this lane of exploration and production of hydrocarbons, Ghana like other resource rich developing economies has been confronted with the energy transition. There is today an almost global and growing trend of a gradual transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy or a movement from black to green in the global energy mix.
“Since the signing of the Paris Agreement in 2015, there has been an increased pressure on governments and oil companies to commit to carbon neutrality targets to support global efforts aimed at limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius by 2050,3” he added.
The PC CEO mentioned that, one of the key effects of the transition had been the systematic shift in investments from fossil fuel development projects to renewable energy.
At the just ended COP 27 at Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt, he said, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo assured the global community of Ghana’s full commitment to enhancing the proportion of renewable energy in our national energy generation mix.
The President, Mr Faibille said, added “We will continue to increase the share of renewable energy in our electricity generation mix, as well as explore the options of hydrogen gas and other clean energy sources to meet our energy needs.”
He continued “If we need any visible signposts as to Ghana’s commitment to net zero, our President has provided it. The President also made it clear that Ghana’s National Energy Transition Framework which has been put together following extensive nationwide consultations will guide our transition to a net zero economy by 2070 in a just and equitable manner.”
He said, Ghana’s commitment and positions on the energy transition envisaged a harmonious co-existence of exploration and production activities and renewable energy, stressing“the future still looks promising for local content development in Ghana.”
The Western Regional Minister, Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, said the choice of the region provided the opportunity for participants to engage the oil and gas sector.
Local content, he argued, should ensure the development of local materials and resource in communities, adding “ the resources belong to all of us.”
Mr Darko-Mensah added that the conference would also ensure strategies are outlined to ensure transparency, openness and the maximisation of the oil and gas potentials for communities.
FROM CLEMENT ADZEI BOYE, TAKORADI
