On Tuesday, October 12, 2021, the Chairman of the Board of Directors “Engineer Mustafa Sanalla” met the representative of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), Dr. Nouri Al-kishriwi, at the NOC headquarters in Tripoli. The chairman Technical Advisors, Dr. Taher Najah and Mr. Bashir Grea attended the meeting.
First, Mr. Sanalla welcomed Dr. Al-Kishriwi, thanking him for his visit to the NOC to discuss the NOC objectives in the field of preparing a national energy plan, investing in renewable energies, energy efficiency, and reduction of GHG Emissions. This visit was seen as an opportunity to discuss how to benefit from the support provided by the United Nations Environment Program to Libya in the current stage. Mr. Sanalla explained that through his previous meetings with REAOL and GECOL and other relevant bodies, He highlighted the NOC support for diversification of sources of energy to generate electricity and the need to increase the contribution of renewable energies, especially solar energy, sparing the high value oil and gas for export to fund development and supporting diversification of the national economy. He emphasized that the NOC aim to maximize the use of renewable energies in the extraction of oil and gas as a priority to reduce consumption of oil and gas fuels. He added that the NOC has made important strides in gas flaring and emissions reduction, and relies on the option of solar energy as a prime energy source in all the new green field development projects as well as in maintenance and reconstruction projects in brown fields.
For his part, Dr. Al-Keshriwi, affirmed that he is keen, through his work as an energy analyst at the United Nations Environment Program, to fully collaborate with the NOC to benefit from the support programs made available to Libya by the UNEP in the field of technical and economic studies and capacity building related to energy planning, emissions reduction, energy efficiency and renewable energies.
In a follow up statement to the NOC Media Office, Dr. Al-keshriwi confirmed that the opportunities for cooperation between the UNEP and Libya’s NOC were discussed with the NOC Chairman of the Bord, in the field of developing a National Energy Plan, for the energy sector that encompasses all types of traditional energies, renewable energies and electric energy production and consumption over the long-term. Regulating and support of renewable energies as a strategic option should be a prime target in the near future.
The preferential use of renewable energies to generate and satisfy the oil sector demand for electric power was discussed. This generation can include feeding of national power grid while saving huge funds, reducing pollution and minimizing emissions.
At the end of the meeting, it was agreed with the NOC Chairman of the Board of Directors to organize a joint workshop on these important topics before the end of the year end.
