Young voices on Energy Transition
Emmanuel Anganisye, Engineer reservoir technology, Equinor Tanzania, working in Bergen, Norway
His hope for the future is that the world develops in a greener direction with more renewable energy solutions.
“I hope the future will be greener with a priority on alternative energy sources such as solar power, wind power, tidal power. However, oil and gas will still have a large contribution into the world energy mix”.
He is convinced that Equinor has an important role in contributing to the energy transition
“We can contribute by investing even more into renewables and through our project for Carbon Capture Storage and Utilization. We can also reduce emissions from our platforms by optimising the energy use in our installations.”
Individual actions are important contributions to climate change.
“One 2017 study co-authored by Lund University’s Nicholas ranked 148 individual actions on climate change according to their impact. Going car-free was the number-one most effective action an individual could take. Cars are more polluting compared to other means of transportation like walking, biking or using public transport. Personally, I take this direction and would urge others to do the same if they can.”
At work, he is also involved in implementation of an energy and emission calculator on the Kvitebjørn and Valemon fields, in order to reduce their carbon footprint.
Access to reliable energy is fundamental for quality of life, he underlines.
“Without access to reliable energy, no life. Energy is used in almost all life dimension from cooking, heating houses, travelling and much more. This can be scaled all over the world, life progress relies on the availability of energy and most important reliable energy.”
He thinks research and new technology are key to address the climate challenge.
“Engaging into research such as conversion of carbon dioxide into electricity is one important contribution, for example technologies that are available on laboratory scale but needs to be upscaled into real life practice,” he says.
“I would like to have a career in the company’s business area for new energy solutions in the future.”
Emmanuel encourages Equinor to focus on investments and use of more green energy solutions for the progress of the society.
“I would like to see Equinor being the leading energy company and a company of reference worldwide in shaping the future of energy,” says Emmanuel.
Rafael Tristao, Head of supply chain management, Equinor Brazil, working in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
He hopes for a future with more equal opportunities for all, a world where more people can enjoy a decent standard of lving in a safe, sustainable and well preserved environment.
“13% of the world population does not have access to electricity and almost 40% (3 billion people) do not have access to clean fuels for cooking. Energy consumption varies more than 10 times across regions. Strong correlation has been noted between human development and access to affordable energy. I hope for purposeful and meaningful collaboration between corporations, authorities, regulators and the society in order to meet the high demands of a fast-growing world population in a fast-changing environment. Although far from easy, I hope for global cooperation instead of competition, leadership instead of uncoordinated actions and empathy towards societies and each other instead of selfishness and protectionist policies,” says Rafael.
In his home country Brazil, he has seen how lacking access to electricity hindered the society to develop.
“Access to water – a pump was required for water to reach the vertical communities, access to proper health conditions – a fridge to store special medicines, and access to education – a light to study at night or connect appliances are just a few examples. Today in Brazil it is estimated that around two million people still do not have access to electricity. Brazil is a continental country and has of course, come a long way with regards to energy consumption and economic development. Brazil’s electricity consumption per capita reached 2.5 MWh in 2017 (IEA). However, if those numbers are compared to countries like the US (12.6 MWh) and Norway (23.7 MWh), there is a clear opportunity ahead considering the great amount of natural resources, the population, the potential and Equinor’s ability to deliver always safe, high value and low carbon projects.”
Personally, Rafael continuously looks for ways to contribute to an efficient use of energy from the consumer side, such as always assessing his means of mobility, considering value to green or environmentally friendly products, having conscious food and nutrition habits and creating awareness about the life cycle of packaging materials.
“A powerful way to become a part of the change is to be educated and learn more about the environment, climate and the energy transition. Fact based, trustful sources of data and scientific studies are important for understanding the global picture, validating your beliefs and implementing ideas and actions for a better future,” he says.
Rafael thinks Equinor has taken a proactive role in discussions related to the energy transition.
“Our strong portfolio position combined with our natural will to innovate, create and develop new technology takes us forward as one of the main energy players able to apply our expertise and experience from the oil and gas into renewable sources. It is undeniable that the world will still need oil and gas. Equinor has demonstrated through projects such as Johan Sverdrup that it is possible to produce oil and gas with almost no CO2 emissions. And we continue to work on further electrification in the NCS to reduce our emissions even further. Meanwhile, our unique offshore wind technology and our expertise in this area has contributed to earn us the responsibility to develop and scale up two large offshore wind projects. In Brazil, Equinor found the place for its first solar plant. In addition, it has taken a proactive role in discussions related to energy transition and low carbon solutions as well as engaging in studies on offshore wind with Petrobras.”
Oskar Simen Scheldrupsen, Operator at processing plant, Equinor, working in Hammerfest, Norway
He was raised in Fauske in Nordland. He learned chemistry at Yara's fertilizer plant in Glomfjord, and for two years worked as an operator at Hydro's aluminum plant in Karmøy before joining Equinor's plant in Hammerfest in May 2019.
Is a gas treatment plant far to the north a workplace for the future, in a world that will meet the Paris goals and need basic restructuring in the production and use of energy?
This was something the young process operator thought carefully about before applying for a job in Hammerfest LNG.
“There were good recommendations from former apprentice colleagues that made me interested in the position. But before I applied, I also thought through job security and prospects for this industry,” says Oskar.
“The reality is that the energy demand in the world is increasing, and the energy must come from somewhere. My view is that new technology is constantly being developed that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions without the need to shut down the oil and gas industry we have built up. The plant in Hammerfest has for many years operated with carbon capture and storage - CO2 is separated from the gas and sent back to the Snøhvit reservoir, instead of being released into the atmosphere. Such measures and new technology will have an important role for this plant and industry in the future,” he says.
Oskar has been involved in the trade union Industry & Energy since the apprenticeship, and now sits on the board of the local trade union in Hammerfest. As a union representative, he is also involved in the debate on energy and industry issues.
“Oil and gas are important in the energy supply and will have a role to play for many years to come. In addition, our industry can contribute a lot to the technological solutions needed in the future,” he believes.
“Equinor is a large company and a large industrial environment, and that means a lot. I hope in time I will be able to visit facilities such as the gas processing plant at Kårstø and the refinery at Mongstad, both to learn and share experiences.”
On the private level, Oskar tries to do his part through recycling and conscious choices to avoid and reduce waste. But in the big picture, he believes he can contribute more as a committed employee at the LNG plant.
“We have a lot of awareness about issues in the process, how we can make things smarter, more efficient and reduce energy consumption. In my opinion, Equinor is already doing a lot in relation to the green shift. I think the company should continue to focus on new solutions, both technology that can reduce emissions from production and use of oil and gas, as well as new industrial solutions and renewable energy.”
Oskar gladly recommends Hammerfest LNG to other young people:
“The job is interesting and exciting. There is always something new to learn. I have two brothers who are also working at industrial plants. I have hinted several times about vacancies here,” he says.
Tiffany Wong, Associate engineer, AFARA, working in Calgary/Toronto, Canada
Tiffany Wong is an associate engineer from Canada. She is concerned with an unsustainable development path, but encouraged by society’s ability to collaborate and innovate.
“I am fascinated by the leaps and bounds we’ve made as a society when it comes to the topic of energy. We’ve gone from using fire for warmth and cooking to much more sophisticated forms of energy in the span of a few centuries. Along the way, we’ve been relentless on innovating and making improvements – hydraulic fracturing to increase production, horizontal drilling to access new resources, and CO2 injection to enhance oil recovery to name a few. We’ve become more and more efficient, but the big question is: “Are we doing this sustainably?”. The short answer is no,” she says.
“The good news is that the energy transition is already happening. As a society, we are becoming more mindful of our activities and environmental impact on the world. I have high hopes for the future because around the world, we are already seeing an increase in renewables making up our electricity grid. In Canada where I live, renewable energy sources currently provide 17% of Canada’s total primary energy supply. Although the energy transition will look drastically different between various parts of the world depending on their regional resources and assets, my hope stems from the suite of solutions that already exist today and our society’s ability to continually innovate. While there is no silver bullet for this energy challenge, it is promising to know that the topic of sustainable energy is top of mind for our scientists, engineers, academics, and entrepreneurs who are developing new technologies and solutions such as carbon capture and energy storage.”
Tiffany points to the need for collaboration:
“We’re lucky to be living in a time where collaboration has never been easier. The energy transition for North America will look very different from the energy transition for Europe; and while we may not have all the solutions today, we do have the ability to learn and mutually support each other around the world. Renewable energy producers can share best practices on optimization to improve efficiency and storage. Technology providers can design modular units to manage customizations in capacity and deploy to many parts of the world. Heavy emitters can work alongside carbon capture technology providers to realize colocation benefits. Consumers can deselect vehicles that run on fossil fuels to drive demand for greener vehicles. In a time where we are so globally connected, we need to be sharing our know-how and tap into our networks to drive change. I am confident we have all the tools, knowledge, and capabilities amongst ourselves to accelerate the transition to a clean energy future,” she says.
“As an engineer, I can actively contribute to conversations as an informed participant and bring a sense of today’s landscape as we collaborate with energy producers, technology providers, governments, and consumers to design a sustainable future. I can provide insights stemming from the math, science, and economics to guide decision making. Change does not happen in a vacuum because one person or one organization decides to step up, we need everyone to be part of the energy transition network so we can all work together to create irreversible momentum towards a sustainable future.”
The Canadian engineer is also concerned with plastic waste.
“We should be proud that we are developing solutions to minimize impact of our existing fossil fuels production, transitioning to renewables, and tackling the carbon emissions we create … but energy isn’t the only global challenge we face today. We also have a global challenge on single use plastics and recycling. On the surface, these sectors don’t seem to intersect; but when you boil it down to the basics, both sectors are fundamentally hydrogens and carbons.
Through my work in the circular economy, I have come across chemical recycling technologies that are able to treat waste plastics as raw materials to generate value for new products. In an ideal closed loop economy, these new products are petrochemicals, monomers, or polymers that may be used as raw materials to manufacture new plastics. However; there is another group of chemical recycling technology that are producing fuels from waste plastics and are starting to become commercialized. The question I am curious to explore is: “how can we integrate these supply chains with our existing energy infrastructure?”. My hypothesis is that companies like Equinor with a global presence have the potential to leverage their widespread infrastructure and extensive supply chains to tackle both the energy and plastics waste challenge simultaneously,” says Tiffany Wong.