By Kim Hyun-cheol
Staff Reporter
A visiting top executive of Saudi Arabia's state-run oil company said Wednesday that fossil fuels would still play the biggest role in global energy use and it was important to try to make the best of them.
"Alternative energy sources hold promise in the long-term, and we should pursue their development in a rational fashion. But in the immediate future, the prudent course is to sustain global economic development by making the best use of proven sources of energy," Khalid A. Al-Falih, president and CEO of Saudi Aramco, said during a speech at Seoul National University (SNU).
"Fossil fuels will continue to dominate the world's energy mix, with most analysts agreeing that oil, gas and coal will continue to account for more than an 80-percent share among all energy sources. Petroleum will remain indispensible to the world economy, and especially for fast-growing nations."
In spite of the unchanged significance of petroleum, Saudi Aramco and other Saudi institutions are ready to partner with Korean firms to help achieve the high end of the range of feasible achievement for renewable energy sources, Al-Falih said, adding that his company shares Korea's emphasis on achieving ever cleaner and more efficient uses of energy.
Al-Falih also praised Korea's efforts for developing eco-friendly technologies, as well as the country's human resources.
"I was impressed with my visit to SNU's Advanced Automotive Research Center, which shares the 'Low Carbon, Green Growth' strategies for Korea,'" he said. "This visit to Seoul makes me even more confident that Korea's current and future advances in energy efficiency and in environmental stewardship will benefit the wider world, including Saudi Arabia.
"Although we are grateful for these God-given resources, we must acknowledge that truly the greatest natural resource here in Korea, in Saudi Arabia, or anywhere else in the world, is the human resource. Human wisdom, after all, is what enables us to leverage energy for the service of humankind."
Sworn in as the Saudi Aramco president in January, Al-Falih paid his second visit to Korea following his first one last year.
Since his arrival last weekend, the Saudi executive met with Knowledge Economy Minister Choi Kyung-hwan and CEOs of local refiners and construction firms to discuss ways to cooperate on energy supply and related development projects in Saudi Arabia. Al Falih will leave Korea, Thursday.
Saudi Aramco, the largest oil corporation in the world with the largest proven crude oil reserves and production, accounts for more than 30 percent of total oil production in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries. It also provides over 30 percent of the crude oil Korea imports.