Natural gas will be the main energy source in the world, says IGU’s President
In a world where about one billion people still do not have access to energy, natural gas will emerge as the main source for electricity in the coming years. That is the conclusion of the president of the International Gas Union (IGU), David Carroll. The executive is in Brazil to participate in the 15th International Gas Union Research Conference (IGRC) and spoke at the opening of the event, held this Wednesday, 24, at Riocentro, Rio de Janeiro.
According to Carroll, technology is key to develop the gas industry and to implement methods that increasingly reduce production costs. He mentioned eight key technologies that are being used in new business models around the world: Internet of Things (IoT); Robots; Augmented and Virtual Reality; 3D printing; Blockchain; Artificial Intelligence and the use of drones. “This is definitely a great opportunity for our industry”, he stressed.
According to the executive, the good moment that gas generation may experience is due to some factors. One is the abundance of this commodity in the world market, at lower prices. Another factor is the increased basis of intermittent renewable energy, which will keep demanding increased levels of flexible energy generation with natural gas.
Besides Carroll, other attendees of the opening of the IGRC were Frank Groeschl, Manager of Innovation and Technology at the German Technical and Scientific Association of Gas and Water; the president of the IGRC’s Organizing Committee in Brazil, Cynthia Silveira; and the secretary general of the Brazilian Petroleum, Gas and Biofuels Institute (IBP), Milton Costa Filho.
During his speech, IBP’s secretary general, Milton Costa Filho, highlighted the improvements in the business environment with the government’s recent announcement of the bid rounds schedule until 2019 and also spoke about the transformation experienced by the natural gas industry in Brazil. In recent years, the global market was affected not only by the drop of oil prices, but also by economic and political crises. In addition, Milton highlighted the impact of Petrobras’ asset sale program in the gas industry. “This will completely change the gas market in Brazil. The addition of new players will require a new set of rules that may encourage competitiveness in Brazil and ensure new investments in this industry”, he said.
Schedule – One of the most important technical events of the natural gas industry worldwide, IGRC is being held for the first time in Brazil. It will take place until Friday, May 26, at Riocentro. The Brazilian edition is organized by the IBP in partnership with the IGU.
The main theme of the 2017 edition is “Natural Gas: Catalyzing the Future”. In these three days, the event will address the strategic role of technology in the development of the gas market.
The program includes plenary sessions, presentation of technical papers in oral sessions and posters, as well as technical visits. In all, there will be twelve oral and five plenary sessions, which will discuss issues related to production and exploration, gas transportation, distribution, use of industrial gas and climate, environment, technology and innovation, among others.
The event´s speakers includes the main executives and specialists from the Brazilian gas market and also from countries such as France, Iran, Germany and the United States.
For the presentations, 415 technical papers from 27 countries were approved. Brazil, France, Iran and Russia were the countries that contributed with most papers. Gas transmission and distribution was the topic with the highest number of submissions, followed by exploration and production, climate and environment.