The most recent report from the International Gas Union, in collaboration with Hawilti Limited, stated that the energy that is available in Nigeria, Cameroon, Egypt, and other African countries is expensive, ineffective, polluting, and unreliable.
In spite of the continent’s abundant gas supply, it was also noted that Nigeria and other countries there were energy-poor.
The report was published in conjunction with International Gas Union (IGU) and focused on gas for Africa by Hawilti, a pan-African investment research organization and advisor to companies, investors, public and private institutions, and governments in Africa.
The study assessed the potential for domestic gas resources to energize Africa in line with the global energy transition. The African Energy Commission and the Africa Finance Corporation endorsed the report and its findings.
“Where energy is available in African countries, it is often expensive, inefficient, polluting, and unreliable: for example, Nigeria’s grid collapsed four times between January and September 2022,” the report read in part.
It stated that domestic gas resources could improve the lives of Africa’s young, increasing population, and deliver the energy it needs to develop within a just energy transition.
“Africa has the lowest energy per capita in the world, while the average electricity use of a sub-Saharan Africa resident is lower than that of a household fridge in the United States,” it stated.
Read Also: lswc-calls-for-access-to-sustainable-climate-resilient-water-services
Energy experts at the International Gas Union and Hawilti Limited explained that domestic natural gas could help to alleviate Africa’s energy poverty.
“But despite producing over six percent of the world’s natural gas supply and having close to one-tenth of proven global reserves, most of the African continent has no access to its natural gas.
“Africa’s domestic gas markets remain under-developed or non-existent, especially south of the Sahara, and much of Africa’s abundant natural gas resource development has been for export to the rest of the world.
“Africa produces over 280bcm of natural gas, while its domestic demand is just above 160bcm,” they stated in the report.
They further noted that the adoption of natural gas in Africa would have minimal impact on the net global Green House Gas emissions, given its minuscule starting point.
The report showed that Africa had a fifth of the world’s population and represented only three percent of global emissions.
“For the 48 Sub-Saharan African countries, without South Africa, the estimated share of emissions is 0.55 percent.
“If Africa consumes 50 percent (90 bcm/y) more natural gas by 2030 than it does today, it would generate cumulative CO2 emissions of 10 gigatons, taking its share of global emissions to 3.5 percent by 2050, according to the IEA (International Energy Agency),” the report stated.
It stated that in the short-term, natural gas could also provide an immediate emissions reduction benefit when used to replace higher-emitting energy sources, such as biomass, wood, charcoal, coal, and heavy fuel oil.
“For example, when replacing coal with natural gas in power generation, Africa can achieve a reduction of 50 percent in greenhouse gas and more than 90 percent in air pollution emissions,” the experts stated.
Story adapted from Punch
