“As part of the petroleum production process, around 140 billion cubic metres of associated petroleum gas (APG) are flared annually throughout the world, wasting large amounts of energy resources and contributing to pollution”, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) said.
Egypt “ranks among the 20 top gas-flaring countries in the world” and, if the country were to capture the nearly two billion cubic metres of gas flared in the country every year, this would be enough to provide five per cent of nation’s energy needs and add US$ 300 million a year to the Egyptian economy, according to the study “Gas Flaring Reduction in Egypt”, conducted by the bank.
The EBRD discussed the results of this study, launched in 2014, at a workshop held as part of the bank’s work to combat energy waste in Egypt. “Building on the results of the study, over the last two years the Bank has already financed over US$ 200 million in projects to reduce flaring in Egypt and is committed to looking into further projects”, EBRD Director for Natural Resources Eric Rasmussen said.