Speed Post News Network
New Delhi : Union Petroleum & Natural Gas and Steel Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on September 29, 2020, said that the clarion call given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for an ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ will drive our efforts in evolving a comprehensive energy security architecture in the country.
In his keynote address to ‘GCTC Energy Security Conference 2020’ organised by Global Counter Terrorism Council (GCTC), Pradhan said, “We are determined to build back better after COVID-19 to ensure that the energy system is secure, clean, resilient and responsive to our citizens’ needs. I am confident that, energy companies in India have powered through COVID-19 relatively intact, and look forward to a revival by embracing Atmanirbhar Bharat through innovation.”
Pradhan referred to some energy consuming Ministries aiming to improve energy independence, which include Indian Railways going in for 100% electrification by 2023, targeted installation of over 15 lakh standalone solar pumps under Kisan Urja evam Utthan Mahabhiyan by MNRE, Road Transport Ministry supporting Hydrogen enriched CNG as an alternate fuel, Accelerating clean coal technologies by developing coal Gasification projects, and Green Port initiative by Ministry of Shipping.
He said that our five-pronged strategy to reduce crude oil import dependency including increasing domestic oil and gas production, promoting bio fuels and renewables, energy conservation and energy efficiency, improvement in refinery processes and demand substitution, is making an impact, according to a PIB release.
Pradhan said “In the past, energy security has been seen in a narrow approach, mainly aimed at managing supply. Our government has widened the scope of energy security by making it much more inclusive, and taking into account geo-political, economic, social and environmental dimensions. India’s energy diplomacy and its alignment with our foreign policy over the last six years has delivered substantive results. We have enhanced our engagement with key global energy players, and firmed up strategic and comprehensive energy engagements with producing countries such Russia, US, Saudi Arabia and UAE and close engagement with consuming countries such as Japan and South Korea.”
Talking about the impact of Covid-19, Pradhan said global pandemic is having enormous impact -both on health and economic fronts. He said, “ Our energy sector particularly Oil & Gas sector was affected significantly in the initial stages of Covid-19 till May 2020. We are already witnessing significant restoration of consumption of several of the petroleum products to pre-Covid levels since July onwards.”
Pradhan said that with over 16% of global population, we are currently using only 6% of the world’s primary energy. He stressed on the need to develop a reliable and compatible energy infrastructure in the country. The Minister said that with the per capita consumption of energy still one-third of the global average, India will continue to develop all possible energy sources to meet this energy deficit.“The energy landscape in India is evolving like never before, ” he added.
He said, “ At the height of geo- political tensions in the Middle East and country-specific restrictions on crude exports during the last year, we had sufficient supplies of crude oil & LNG. It is as a result of our policy of diversification of sources of hydrocarbons pursued over the last six years. Our oil marketing companies are now importing crude oil from over 30 countries, including from Africa, North and South Americas as well as Southeast Asia. New long-term contracts have been entered into by our companies with their counterparts in the US, Russia and Angola. Our LNG imports have also been diversified from traditional supplier Qatar to US, Australia and Russia.”