PERTH (miningweekly.com) - Global energy major Shell has called for collaboration between government and industry to meet Australia’s growing energy demand.

Speaking at the release of the company’s Future Energy Survey 2013, country chair Ann Pickard noted that industry, the community and government all had a responsibility to find innovative solutions to meet future energy needs.

“The power of our collaboration will define how successful we will be in addressing the challenges of the future.

“Smart policy decisions, community engagement and consultation will be critical. And the energy industry will have to learn how to scale-up and integrate new processes and inventions quicker than ever before,” she said.

Shell scenarios have suggested that the global population will grow from its current seven-billion to nine-billion by 2050, doubling energy demand in less than a century, and placing significant stress on energy resources.

Shell’s Future Energy Survey found that Australians were increasingly aware of this issue and the country’s role in securing its energy future.

“We are not surprised to see Australians rating future energy as one of the most important issues for Australians. Over the next 30 years, the global energy system needs to undergo a transition as profound as any in its history and Australia has a key role to play in this,” Pickard noted.

The survey revealed that Australians most favoured a mix of energy sources to help meet this growing demand. Natural gas was considered by more than 40% of all Australians as the logical bridge between the reduction in oil and coal – the least-favoured energy sources.

“Natural gas is able to play a much bigger role in meeting the future energy challenge than we had previously assumed. Australia is at the heart of the ‘natural gas revolution’. In this past decade alone, we have seen our industry develop and perfect the technology needed to unlock gas from places previously assumed to be out of reach,” Pickard said.

The survey also revealed over one-third of Australians believed collaboration between industry, government and the community would be key to finding the solutions to meeting future energy demand, although 65% of Australians believed government had the most significant role to play.

“The power of our collaboration will define how successful we will be in addressing the challenges of the future.

“Our increasing demand for energy is taking place against a backdrop of environmental concerns.  Our challenge is to produce far more energy for a world with far more people while continuing to reduce carbon dioxide emissions,” Pickard added.

Shell holds an interest in a number of liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects, including the Gorgon and Wheatstone projects being developed by Chevron, as well as the Browse and Sunrise projects being developed by Australian company Woodside.

The company was also developing the first floating LNG facility in the region at its Prelude project, which was expected to deliver some 110 000 barrels of oil equivalent a day, underpinning a 5.3-million-ton-a-year liquids operation consisting of 3.6-million tons of LNG, 1.3-million tons of condensate and 400 000 t of liquefied petroleum gas.